Oh, Calamity!
by Cassiel-of-Thursday
Summary: People had gotten comfortable despite All-might retiring. The apparent brains behind the League was imprisoned, crime was down and what remained was petty. It seemed like their new #1 hero had things pretty well under control. It turns out, though dormant for months, the villains were coming back roaring, malignant, ready to devour hero society like flame on dry brush
1. Prologue

"Everyone is still talking about that idiot All-might. What about us?! Even retired that bastard is bothering me."

"Shigaraki, I think we should look towards our future plans," Kurogiri says. Their new hideout is dank and small. Nothing like the serenity of the bar they had held previously. The windows didn't open and had enough gunk caked on that even in daylight the sun barely made it through. The floorboards creaked and there was a near constant drip that echoed from the bathroom.

"Plans? You want to talk about plans when master has been taken?"

"Isn't that what he would want?"

"We have no nomu. It's just us now." Shigaraki says, taking up scratching his neck with his blood-caked nails. His neurotic compulsion relentless since their loss, since he was forced away from One for all.

"The symbol of peace has fallen. The public is already shaken. We just continue to chip away at their hierarchy until there's nothing left to hide behind."

"We'll continue to take down these self-proclaimed and false heroes! Starting with their new number one!" Spinner says.

"Oh shut up," Shigaraki growls. "I don't want to fight Endeavor, and I don't have a nomu for him."

"I have an idea," Dabi says from his spot in the corner. His blue eyes are glinting dangerously, his scarred skin pulling where it joins as his lips quirk up. "To take down Endeavor."

"I wasn't even talking to you," Shigaraki grumbles. Even through their battles and schemes, those drawn towards the league by Stain's ideology still didn't have a place in Shigarakis eyes.

"Without Master, I think you will find it beneficial to take full advantage of your comrades."

"If you don't shut up you'll be dust by morning, Kurogiri." His threat falls empty, both of them knowing the warp gate is an irreplaceable and crucial part of any plan. He's the only way they can bypass most hero defenses and escape when things look poor. Shigaraki doesn't say anything more, but his single red eye is soloed in on Dabi, expectant.

"We don't kill him," Dabi starts, and Shigaraki is already seething, his fist clenched in his lap, his other hand twitching for his neck. "We do something worse than show a gap in skill."

"What do you propose?" Kurogiris' glowing eyes are narrowing, his sweeping slowed by his piqued interest.

"All Might's loss has already shaken their faith in their so-called saviors' powers and invincibility. Now we shake down their faith in their character. Something we couldn't do with the prior number one hero."

"I'm sure the public is already aware Endeavor has a foul aura and poor people skills. There's no lack of discord on the heroe's manners."

"Believe me. I've got more on him that poor people skills," Dabi says, standing and walking towards the two co-leaders of the league, his hand in his pocket, his steps light. He looks to Shigaraki. "I told you when we met, I'd tell you my name when the time was right. Well, we're almost there."

"Instead of breaking these heroes, we break society's faith in their 'heroes.' Thread by thread we can unravel this blindfold people have over their eyes." Kurogiri murmurs, contemplative.

"Believe me, I know just where we can start with their new number one hero," Dabi says, his smile incongruent with the sneer he says his words with, the light glinting like a camera flash off the staples in his skin. "How will they fare losing two number one heroes so soon. How will they feel safe without their beloved protectors?"

"I'm interested." The scratching has stopped, leaving an eerie silence behind.

They are two trials down. Izuku is brimming with adrenaline, his veins pumping endorphins. This never should have been possible for him, but here he is. He's neck in neck in the top three leaders for the sports festival. Present Mic's voice is echoing around the arena, chatting about the prior events and the students, ribbing with Aizawa, though that's more one-sided than anything, and Toshinori putting in his two cents every now and then. He's surrounded by friends, Uraraka rambling happily by his side, giving herself a pep talk to make it farther than she had last year. It's so much different than he thought it would be. It's so wonderful. The warm post Summer breeze is blowing through his wild hair and tickling his nose, the roar of the audience a pleasant buzz in the background. The stadium is practically vibrating with excitement.

Present Mic starts introducing the current event.

"And we're back in the studio with those rematches we've been itching to see since we saw these wild kids in the sports festival last year. Our top competitors this year are no surprise given their efforts in their first year. Leading the ranks are these absurdly strong students! All might's newly named successor, Izuku Midoriya! It's no wonder either, their quirks are so similar they could practically be related!"

"Stop it."

"Not far behind the boy who used to break his bones for his quirk, the son of the current number one hero, Shoto Todoroki! And the boy we couldn't possibly forget after his behavior at last years awards ceremony, the explosive Katsuki Bakugo!" Izuku is sure Bakugo is seething at being the last to be introduced, though now his irritations are much quieter, his support more freely given.

"All three are also leading the public with their work utilizing their provisional licenses."

"Thanks, Eraserhead! Now, the bracket! Our first match of the first round, our early front-runner Shoto Todoroki." Izuku looks to the screen where his enemy-turned-best friend is climbing the arena stairs.

"Good luck Todoroki!" He yells, and he's sure there's no way Todoroki could have possibly heard his individual shout of encouragement, but his heart flutters at the small upward twitch of his lips that follows.

"Deku and Todo sitting in a tree-" Uraraka sings before Izuku turns on her, hand clasping firmly over her mouth.

"Uraraka!" He whines.

"Of course you and icy-hot would have a thing," Bakugo grumbles. "I'm going to put you and your boyfriend in the ground, Deku."

"Yeah, okay," Izuku says. Bakugo's threats don't contain half the heat that they used to, more violently phrased healthy competitiveness than anything. It's a far cry from the way their relationship had been before UA. A smile plays at his lips thinking about how far Kacchan has come. He completely misses the introduction of the other competitor, only pulled back to attention by Present Mic shouting.

"Whoa, what the hell is that?!"

Izuku catches a glimpse of black mist before the arena erupts into blue flame. He hears the echo of glass shattering as Eraserhead leaps from the observation deck and down into the arena, his capture weapon readied in his clenched fists. The flame dies down, revealing the two figures standing alone in the ring Cementoss had finished mere minutes ago. Midnight, once again acting as the ref for their class given the explosive power of their students and lack of demonstrated restraint, has her costume pulled tight in her grasp, ready to tear it at a moments notice. It's a little too late though. A familiar figure stands behind Todoroki, twisting the student's right arm behind his back with one hand, the other poised at the boy's throat with a wicked blade.

The once warm breeze felt sweltering, and the buzz of the audience left a ringing in his ears in its absence.

"Who are you?" Aizawl growls, his voice echoing around the stadium, his gaze unblinking as he stares down the intruder.

Dabi looks to the screen broadcasting the events across the globe, a small smirk on his patchwork face before he utters three words that will change the way people view the hero society for many years.

"I'm Touya Todoroki."

Todoroki's expression goes from one of contempt and anger to a deathly white, his eyes wide like he's seen a ghost. His voice is barely a whisper as he repeats the name Dabi had uttered. The stricken expression on his face only seems to fuel Dabi, his staples pulling tight as he grins broadly.

"And I'm here for my brother."

There's silence around the arena, baited breath as they all wait, shocked into silence.

"You all know Endeavor, the number one _hero._ If you can call him that!" Dabi, Touya, sneers. "You want to tell them about our dear old dad, Shoto?"

Todoroki's face is ashen, and his hand trembles where it tries to pry the marred one holding the knife against his neck away. "No? You don't want to talk about how dad let me disfigure myself, so desperate for an inkling of his attention? You don't want to talk about him beating our mother, Shoto?"

Izuku watches in horror. At some point he got to his feet, grasping at the rails separating him from his friend. Todoroki's eyes are shining.

"Do you want to talk about your scar?"


	2. Chapter 1

**6 months ago:**

"In light of the recent licensing exam results we are holding a special parent-teacher conference next week. At least one parent or guardian must attend. See me after class if you have special circumstances. That's all." Aizawa had started zipping up his sleeping bag before he'd even finished talking. Izuku couldn't say he was particularly excited about his mother meeting more of his teachers. She hadn't been particularly easy on All-might a few weeks ago and he wasn't even at the camp where he'd gotten the worst of his injuries.

There were others who seemed to share his inclinations and others who seemed quite excited to boast about their progress. Kacchan was indifferent, though that was generally his attitude towards anything that didn't involve his quirk or fighting. He happened to glance back towards Todoroki, knowing what he does about his friend's situation, he can surmise he isn't excited about this prospect. When his eyes fell on Todoroki though, he was surprised.

His face was calm, but carefully so, the kind that is manufactured and crafted, placed precisely but its holdings were fracturing around the edges. He could see the tightness around his eyes, the tremor at the edge of his lips. It was a ghost of the permanent expression he'd word in the first weeks of school, not quite as strong, or maybe Izuku can just see around it better now, can see it for what it is. A façade. A barrier. A wall.

Like breaking glass, the trance his friend seemed to be in broke, and mismatched eyes met his, before turning sharply away. He and Todoroki hadn't spoken of the confession before the festival. It feels like it's been an eternity, a different lifetime since then. Izuku was always too uncertain to bring it up himself, and Todoroki never breached the subject again.

"Deku, come on," Uraraka urges from beside him.

"Right," he mumbles, haphazardly tossing things in his bag. He's usually more careful, not wanting to damage the hero analysis notebook that's in a precarious state. He'd thought about transferring its information to a fresh notebook, one that isn't partially charred and water damaged, but in the end, blank pages open and a pen poised, he couldn't seem to do it. There's something in it, something about the memories of his last days clinging to what his subconscious knew was a futile hope that lingers in those pages, his last days of cowering under Kacchan's fury. Feelings lodged in it that are almost as important to him as the information itself.

He follows his friends to their lockers, picking up umbrellas to brave the falling rain. He's looking around without meaning to, his green eyes searching for red and white hair, wanting to, if nothing else, reassure Todoroki he wasn't in this alone. He was never an Endeavor fanatic, not the way he supports the other heroes, but since his face-to-face encounter with the man, he's left a bad taste in Izuku's mouth. Not to mention the, mostly, unspoken problems between Endeavor and his son. Endeavor isn't one for subtlety.

Todoroki had never said outright that his father had done anything to him, and there are things, instances, that keep Izuku from asking. Things like working for his father on their internship. Things like the way Todoroki isn't hesitant to talk back to his father or to openly defy him. Other things though pull at his brain, almost begging him to make a puzzle piece fit. All-might once told him to trust his instincts, to believe in his hunches, and that may be the only reason he hasn't discarded this one.

He clings to a rather fragile thought: that if Endeavor is so invested in his son beating All-might, in surpassing his own legacy, that he wouldn't risk that by hurting him.

Finally, he sees that tell-tale coloring and excuses himself from his non-participation in Uraraka and Iida's discussion to chase Todoroki out of the front of the school. He runs out, yelping when he's hit by rain, then snapping open his umbrella.

"Todoroki!" He calls, and for a moment he thinks he wasn't heard over the rain. Todoroki turns, hand in his pocket, posture trying to be laid back but there's a tenseness in it that prevents him from looking as unaffected as he wants to.

"Izuku." Todoroki greets him. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I just wanted to see if you were okay?" Todoroki is looking at him, and it's hard not to wither under the intensity of his gaze. His friend softens slightly, and he feels some of that weight ease up.

"I'm fine."

"Is your dad going to come to the conferences?" He blurts.

"It is mandatory."

"I know that I mean, isn't there someone else who could be there for you?" He knows his friend is still embarrassed about how things went down; he knows Todoroki's pride is still recovering from failing the exam, and he wants there to be someone there who will be supportive, who will tell him it's okay and that they can move on from it. He knows enough about Endeavor to know that's not anything he'll say. He'll be too fixated on how his own image is affected. His last concern will be how his son feels.

"You know there's not. My mom is still hospitalized."

"What about your sister?"

"Why are you so worried about it?" His voice isn't quite harsh, but Izuku can tell he's getting close to pushing too hard, to making his friend take two steps back from the one they took forward.

"I just… I know things between you guys aren't great. He's not… like other parents." Around them, the rain falls harder, it's sporadic plinks against umbrellas becoming more frequent, deeper. Thunder rolls over his last words as if nature itself disagrees with his phrasing.

"No. He isn't." Todoroki's eyes are harsh, as they tend to become when his family is broached. He shakes his head, white and red strands sticking to his forehead despite the action, glued there by the humidity even an umbrella can't save you from. "But it'll be fine. It's one day. Maybe an hour. If he decides to come at all, keep an eye on All-might. The old bastard might just try and off him. He's been exceptionally pissed since All-might's retirement."

"That's… concerning."

"I'm kidding. He's not that stupid."

"Oh, okay. Um, are you visiting your mom today?" Todoroki nods.

"That is why I'm on this side of the school."

"Right," Izuku mumbles. Stupid question. It's Thursday, their one afternoon allowed off campus and Todoroki only ever goes to see his mom. Aside from that, he's in his room or in the courtyard working on his quirkless combat. "See you tomorrow then!" He says, turning to walk back into the school. He tries to put as much cheer in his voice as he can, but to him, it just rings false. He hopes it sounds more earnest to Todoroki, but that feeling, that tugging, is becoming more insistent but his neurons just can't make the jumps yet. He can't seem to even articulate what that overhanging dread is beyond concern for his friend.

Todoroki is fine.

The rain is soaking into his shoes and catching on his pants as he runs back in, smiling fakely at his friends before heading back as a trio to their dorms.

"No, Mom. I'm not in trouble," Izuku says for probably the umpteenth time. "Literally everyone is having one of these. It's probably just talking about our licenses." He carefully leaves out the part about how they may be going over the potential risks of involving themselves in stopping villainous behavior. He doesn't need to stress his mother out worse than she already is.

"Well, I wouldn't mind getting a chance to talk to your homeroom teacher. He was the one at that press conference wasn't he?"

"He was one of them yeah. Mr. Aizawa."

An hour later his mom has changed at least three outfits, each time complaining about something. This one is too bright, this one doesn't have shoes that match, this one just doesn't look like I'm the mother of a future hero.

"Mom, just pick something!" He calls out, shooting off a test to Kirishima and opening one from Iida reminding him to be prompt. They had been given windows to visit home this week, mostly to deliver their notices and prepare parents for attending, but Izuku also suspects to test the waters. Villainy has been pretty sparse since All-might defeated All-for-one. Well, the big time stuff anyway. The day to day continues and may have even increased, but there's been no large-scale panic since Kamino. It's disconcerting, to say the least. He feels like the air is charged, heavy and waiting to snap in a burn of electricity. He hopes he's wrong.

"I just want to look nice," his mom complains as he's slipping his phone into his pocket.

"All-might saw you in your everyday clothes, I think anything else will be fine."

"Don't sass your mother, Izuku!" He shakes his head, walking down the hall he peeks in on his mostly empty childhood bedroom. He'd taken most of his things to the dorm with him, so the space left behind is pretty barren, but it's still nostalgic. He wanders back out into the living room while his mom finishes dressing and his eyes linger on the computer he'd spent so much time watching videos on in his youth.

There are so many good memories here. More so than anywhere else. School had been miserable, even the playground was sorrowful. He's pretty sure the tears left in the wake of Kacchan's outbursts could have sustained the greenery alone.

He'd never really told on Kacchan at school, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt every time a teacher _did_ notice and chose to do nothing. It always left him feeling like he was lesser. Like he wasn't worth protecting since he was quirkless.

Things are better between them now. A lot of the air cleared. He won't be running to Kacchan for advice anytime soon, but they're… good.

His mom finally comes out and he can't help but smile. Through good and bad she's been there for him, making home a safe place, a loved place. She may not have told him what he needed to hear all those years ago, but she's always, always, _always_ done her best for him. He's never really longed for his dad because she loved him enough for both of them. Loved her boy even when he was quirkless when no one else even liked him.

"You look great mom." She smiles back and he realizes just how much he's missed her in these weeks. He can't imagine waking up one day and not having her; it would shatter his whole world. She always stood as a barrier between him and life, a cushion between him and the pain.

It hits him like a sledgehammer to the solar plexus that this scenario, this tragedy he's imagining it Todoroki's _life_. He's been alone since he was a child, barely more than a toddler. While Izuku had been playing All-might with his mother, going to sleep with a kiss to his curls and "I love you" uttered lovingly before dreams, Todoroki had no one. It's obnoxious how hard it is to school his features and walk to school with his mother when his heart feels like an anvil.

When they arrive at the school there are several groups already there.

"Deku! Hi!" Uraraka calls, her parents trailing behind her. His mom looks at him worriedly when he hears that name.

"Hey Uraraka," he says, waving at her.

"Is this your mom?"

"Yeah, mom this is Uraraka. She was basically my first friend here."

"You're just saying that because I kept you off you face walking in!"

"No really! I mean it!"

The parents exchange quiet greetings as the students rib each other. When they're banter falls off, Uraraka turns to Mrs. Izuku, her face earnest.

"Your son rescued me during the entrance exam, you should be very proud!" Uraraka careens. Izuku chances a glance at his mom and is unsurprised to see her already close to tears. Before she has a chance to say anything, blessedly, another familiar face for both him and his mother is there as well.

"Oi, Deku," Kacchan calls. His own mother looks ready to pull him back by the ear were he within reach. "Do you know what they want to talk about?"

"Not really. I have my guesses but that's all," he says. He looks to Uraraka but she shakes her head. "Maybe Iida or Yaoyorozku know."

"I'm surprised Iida isn't here directing traffic," Izuku jokes.

"Get back here Katsuki," Bakugo's mother calls. "Hello, Inko!" She hollers over her shoulder after corralling Kacchan back towards his father. Nothing seems to be happening yet, just students arriving with family in groups of two or three.

They are in a hall he doesn't visit often, reserved mostly for faculty and meetings. Windows line the hall, letting in the warm glow of sunset. His friends are scattered about, all boring smiles, exchanging introductions, intertwining the two parts of their lives.

"As-Tsuyu!" He calls, spotting the froglike girl amongst a family of rather equally froglike people. Well, at least her appearance hadn't been shocking to them.

"Izuku, hi," she says. Despite them being on a first name basis, they aren't particularly close. More and more of his classmates arrive. Iida is followed by his now wheelchair-bound brother, and holy shit it's _Ingenium_. Despite him passing on the name, Iida's brother will always be the hero Ingenium to Izuku; a hero who didn't deserve the ending he got. His father walks in thereafter, all three of them looking remarkably similar. He's about to say hi when a heat wave moves in, sucking the moisture out of the air and he turns in time to see Endeavor's hulking form just before he passes Izuku, his teal eyes side-eyeing him with a poorly concealed threat before turning back forward.

"Todoroki..." Izuku says as his friend walks by. Todoroki says nothing, and Izuku purses his lips.

"Izuku?" His mom says. "Isn't that the number new one hero?"

"Yeah."

"Don't you want to say hi or something?" Izuku can't fault his mother for thinking that. He's gone wild fanboy for heroes far less popular and infinitely less well known. But…

"I have nothing I can say to him," Izuku mutters. His mom shoots him a look but he's saved from a question he can't answer when Aizawa, All-might and Midnight open the door to the main office space and beckon everyone in. There are three tables on the edges of the room, a couple of chairs to each one. "Let's go."

He sees Todoroki's father head for Aizawa's table and then he's swept up by Kirishima and Kaminari.

"You seen Bakugo, Midoriya?" Kirishima asks.

"A few minutes ago," he says, looking around.

"You think this is about him and Todoroki failing?"

"I don't think so. If it was, it'd make more sense just to meet with them individually. It may be about our licenses or overall performance the first semester." Kirishima nods along.

"Yeah, you're right."

"It's crazy though. Our strongest students failed. I mean, I kinda get Bakugo. He yelled at two of the rescuees…" Kaminari says, shaking his wild blonde hair.

"He's not known for his tact, huh Midoriya," Kirishima smiles wide, his jagged teeth on full display.

"Hey, weren't you around the rescue center with Todoroki?" Kaminari asks. Unfortunately, it's at that moment Sero wanders over as well.

"Dude. Do you know what happened?" They're all looking at him intently, and he kind of wishes he had more to tell them because honestly, he doesn't know. He hadn't really had a chance to talk to Todoroki about the exam since it happened.

"He fought with the Shiketsu first year, but I don't really know what started it."

"Aw, I thought we moved past 'I'll defeat you all-Roki," Sero says.

"I don't think that's what it was about," Izuku admits.

"Oh hey, my parents are here, come on Kaminari!" Kirishima says, dragging the blonde by his elbow. "Later Midoriya!"

He and Sero chat a moment more before he's beckoned over by Iida.

"Mrs. Midoriya, Tenya Iida – class 1-A representative. It is wonderful to meet you," Iida says, his voice loud as he bows to his mom.

"Oh, you're so polite."

"Midoriya, this is my bother, Tensei, and our father."

"It's great to meet you both, I'm a big fan of both of you! You were amazing pros," Izuku gushes.

"Thank you, I've heard great things about you as well," Ing- no, Tensei says. Izuku's face is beet red and he's pretty sure he's having heart palpitations.

"Yes. Mrs. Midoriya your son is unparalleled. His analyses are beyond his years! He's an irreplaceable asset and he teaches me things every day!"

"Iida!" Izuku whines.

"I speak nothing but the truth!"

"Izuku, you have such wonderful friends," his mother weeps. "I'm so glad. Thank you for being there for my son!" Inko says, wiping tears from her eyes. They've been here ten minutes and she's already in tears. He can't say he doesn't get it honestly.

"Mom, are you going to do that to _all_ my friends?" Izuku protests.

"I just might!" Iida laughs beside and Izuku sends him a wounded look.

It's then he hears Endeavor's booming voice and sees him and Todoroki feet away at Aizawa's station.

Izuku finds himself letting his mother and Iida's conversation fade into the background, his attention focused on eavesdropping on the two pros instead.

"Eraserhead," Endeavor says, though his voice is more of a growl than anything.

"Endeavor," Aizawa is cool, collected, though there's a tiny tick in his eye on the right side. "Sit." Izuku is a little impressed at his teacher's authority in the face of Endeavor, though, he supposes he hadn't been very influenced by All-might's position in the beginning either. He hadn't shown respect for the hero until he'd felt he'd earned it at the school.

"Make this quick. I'm a busy man." Todoroki is beside him, but his eyes are off to the side, not paying attention. "If you aren't going to focus why are we here?" Endeavor snaps. Todoroki hesitates, but then he gives in, turning to face Aizawa.

"As you are aware, Todoroki made it through the first round of the licensing exam, but failed during the second." For a brief moment, the flames surrounding the hero flare, harsh in the otherwise fading light, and Todoroki sinks into his seat further. He looks… resigned. "Since he passed the first part, they are offering a remedial course where he will be offered the chance to rectify the poor score."

"He will be participating."

"Of course. Todoroki seemed motivated to improve. I wanted to address the issue that made him fail in the first place. In class, Todoroki is very level headed and does well. It's hard to grasp why he would compromise progress by deciding to start a fight during a crucial examination."

"Perhaps it was the other student's issue."

"I think they both instigated, and neither chose to back down and focus. However, the other student is not one of mine. Todoroki, however, is, and they _will_ be in the remedial course _together_. I don't want to waste my time with a remedial course if we are going to get the same results."

"I'll deal with it." Izuku isn't sure if he's talking about the situation… or his son in general.

"You are not his teacher, Endeavor. I am."

"My, they are both intense," his mother whispers beside him. Apparently, at some point, Iida had bid farewell, and his mother had followed his ling of attention.

Izuku thinks he responds but he's not sure, he's too busy watching this unfold, waiting to see if something implodes.

"I am more than capable of assuring he passes," Endeavor has his massive arms crossed over his chest, now standing to his full height, but their homeroom teacher looks unfazed from his seated position, elbows on the table, chin resting on laced fingers.

"Then you know what caused the fight?"

"I don't need to know."

"You don't care?"

"It's not important. He will pass; he will learn to mind his temper."

"Not from you, obviously," Aizawa says. Endeavor looks about ready to throttle the other pro, and it's starting to attract attention. Izuku doesn't get why his teacher seems to be _provoking_ Endeavor, and once more, he finds himself acting without thinking, launching himself in front of Endeavor and gesturing wildly to his teacher.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Izuku says, "My mom really needs to talk to you!" Endeavor tsks, but thankfully, walks away without issue. Todoroki's eyes are on his friend, his body fixed to his seat, looking at Izuku like he's just done some great deed, as if he'd pulled him from churning waters, pulled him up where he could breathe again. Izuku doesn't much like that metaphor.

"Midoriya," Aizawa says, and Izuku winces, knowing the disapproving tone all too well. "Introduce us." His mother is behind him now, looking worried.

"Mom, this is my homeroom teacher Mr. Aizawa. He was one of the teachers escorting the training camp over break."

"Nice to meet you," his mother says, but Izuku sees the storm brewing in her eyes. Aizawa isn't the only one that isn't afraid of standing up to people stronger than him. His mother is a force to be reckoned with, and he tiptoes away, letting her get her qualms off her chest. Aizawa can handle himself, he reasons, looking around for Todoroki again. Of course, it isn't hard to find the hulking figure that is literally on fire. What's surprising is that Todoroki isn't behind him. Endeavor is alone waiting to talk to Midnight.

He spies Uraraka giving him a concerned glance, no doubt having heard his overexcited outburst earlier. He gives her a thumbs up before walking briskly out into the hall. He spies Todoroki leaning against a wall, his expression dark.

"Hey, Todoroki." He greets, waving his hand awkwardly. By the time Todoroki looks at him the shadow has laxed some. "Getting some air?" Todoroki exhales, blowing frost between his lips.

"Can only take so much of that bastard at a time. Acting like a fool."

"Yeah, it was a bit much."

"I already know I screwed up. The last thing I need is for everyone to think I lost it because I have my father's shitty temper."

"I don't think anyone thinks that Todoroki. I don't. I was frustrated, but I'm sure you had your reasons. You both did. I'm just glad you still have a chance to make it up. Then we can all be heroes." Todoroki smiles softly.

"You have more faith in me than I deserve." Before he has a chance to respond Todoroki pushes off the wall and heads back in.

Izuku sighs and follows his friend. Todoroki stops briefly before he walks in, taking a deep breath before crossing the threshold. Izuku frowns.

He spots his mother still standing before Aizawa's table. He walks up to her in time to hear the last little bit of her sentence.

"… I just worry about him."

"Thanks for rejoining us, Midoriya," Aizawa says. Izuku tries to look sheepish.

"Sorry, had to check on something."

"Ah, Izuku, Aizawa wanted to say something to both of us."

"Mrs. Midoriya, as I said, I understand your concerns and we have taken measures to ensure things aren't repeated. Now, as for Midoriya, he's one of our most motivated and brightest students. He's grown exponentially from when he first arrived at UA. He has grown from a student that I did not feel belonged in my class to one I am anticipating great things from."

Izuku is gaping, flat out gaping because that's as close to praise as it gets from Aizawa, and his mother is holding back waterworks for the second time this evening. "I do have to say though, he has issues asking for help. Consistently his judgment outside of class leaves _much_ to be desired." Aizawa pointedly looks at Izuku for a moment before continuing, and he knows his teacher is calling him back to Stain. Todoroki was the one who had enough common sense to call for back-up. All he'd done was disobey Gran Torino's instructions and almost get all four of them killed. It was luck that they all survived. "I understand you may have had an issue in the past getting help from your teachers but if you tell us we will do everything we can to protect you."

Izuku purses his lips. Sometimes Aizawa notices a little too much.

"What is he talking about, Izuku?" He winces.

"Uh… Well, Todoroki, Kirishima and I kind of did something we shouldn't have done after I was in the hospital. We should have trusted our teachers to have a plan, but we acted on our own anyway."

"And?" Aizawa prompts. Izuku shoots him a look, but it withers immediately. These are his own actions, he should be held accountable.

"And I fought with Kacchan and kind of destroyed a lot of one of the training grounds."

"Why were you fighting Katsuki?" His mom asks.

"I think you have some talking you need to do," Aizawa says. "For my part, Midoriya is doing well, and we, as teachers, will do what we can to improve the areas he is still lacking. Your son will make a great hero one day if he can keep from getting expelled first." Izuku fights the urge to roll his eyes. The expelling card was starting to get old, his mother though looks vaguely mortified. He'll have to tell her that's Eraserhead's idea of a joke later.

"Thank you for your time, and for taking care of my son," Inko says, giving him a slight bow. They walk on, letting the pro get on with the next parent-student pair. It doesn't take long for his mother to get back to the point he'd just escaped from.

"So, you fought Katsuki?" She prods.

"Neither of us got really hurt." He adds quickly. "He was just… in a bad place after failing the exam, and after what happened to All-might. He felt like it was his fault, and Kacchan only knows how to get his feelings out by fighting, so… we did. I should have left but I didn't."

"You're kind to a fault, Izuku," his mother says fondly. "Todoroki… you talk about him quite a bit." He does. They talked fairly extensively after the sports festival. After he'd mangled himself in his fight with Todoroki. At first, his mom hadn't liked the other boy. She'd said he was overly rough with Sero, and a lot of choice things about him and Izuku.

He'd gotten her off Todoroki's back when he said he'd been goading the boy the entire match.

"Yeah," Izuku says slowly.

"And?" His mom says. Izuku doesn't want to meet her eyes because he knows that tone.

"He's my friend…"

"What happened to his face?" Izuku winces. It had been harder to see on TV, plus she'd been more concerned with her own child's safety. He's not surprised she'd ask, he just doesn't really know what to tell her.

"He doesn't talk about it," Izuku responds. It's not a total lie because Todoroki _doesn't_ talk about it. Still, as always, lying to his mom leaves a sour taste in his mouth, but it's not his story to share. He hopes she understands that…

"Do you want to talk to me about what you did before you left?"

"I just, I don't know. His dad was being a jerk, and Aizawa was kind of making it worse, so I just… moved."

"His father doesn't seem very friendly," she muses. "I've seen him on TV though. He does good work."

"Yeah, I guess," Izuku mutters. He's not really in the mood to sing praises about Endeavor. All-might catches his eye from the other side of the room, and he waves. He sees Todoroki and his father leave Midnight's line and head over to All-might, so he decides to lead his mom that way too. Joking or not, Izuku feels like Todoroki's comment about those two together wasn't far off.

"All-might," Endeavor says.

"Endeavor. Good to see you again." Todoroki is standing a pace behind, and for all he loves his mother, she has Izuku's same problem of sticking her nose places it probably shouldn't be.

"Todoroki?" She says, and he sees his friend tense slightly before turning around, meeting Inko's gaze.

"Hello," Todoroki says, his eyes turning towards Izuku. "Midoriya."

"Hey, Todoroki."

"You're Izuku's friend aren't you?" His mother asks. Oh god, where is this going?

Todoroki glances back to his father who is still talking to All-might, not quite amicably, but as pleasant as Endeavor gets. "I am."

"Then I'd like to thank you." Todoroki is taken aback by that. Izuku is just embarrassed. He didn't think she was _serious._

"Mom…" he tries, hoping she'll catch his tone and just _stop._

"You never talked about any of your classmates in middle school, Izuku. You never had friends over, and I was worried. But now, you're here and you seem so much happier. It makes me so happy to know you have friends now. Though I hate to see you getting hurt and I wish you weren't getting in trouble together," she says, pinching Izuku's cheek slightly.

"I'm sorry," Todoroki says, eyes downcast. "That was my fault. It was my idea."

"It's not like you made me go, Todoroki," Izuku argues.

"Regardless, thank you, Todoroki. All I've ever wanted is for Izuku to find his place."

"You raised him well," Todoroki says. "He's helped me a great deal. I'm grateful to have him as a friend."

Endeavor tsks, and Todoroki looks at his father.

"I didn't send you here to make friends and play games, boy."

"Endeavor," All-might speaks up. "I think you'll find cooperation an important aspect to heroics. Forming friendships and alliances can only help in the future."

"You weren't one for working with people, All-might."

"Times are changing. Villains are aligning, it's only right that we should too. It's why they felt the need to alter the structure of the licensing exams. Now, back to young Todoroki."

"I've heard enough. Come on, child. We're going home. You still have training to do. We've wasted enough time here." Endeavor walks on, not bothering to see if Todoroki is following. Izuku looks frantically between the two of them before settling on his friend.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Todoroki," Izuku says finally.

"Shouto!" Endeavor calls.

"I'm coming," Todoroki grumbles. "Goodbye Midoriya, it was nice to meet you Mrs. Midoriya." Todoroki moves to walk by, and some impulse compels Izuku to grasp his hand, the coolness bites sharply against his own fingers.

"You've got my number if you want to talk," Izuku says. Todoroki is looking at his hand like it's got ten fingers on it, or some other abnormal growth before giving a slow, careful nod. Reluctantly, he lets go and watches forlornly as Todoroki approaches his dad and they exit.

Izuku groans and ruffles his hair, raising his eyes finally to see the bewildered expression of his mother, and his teacher.

"Young Midoriya!" All-might calls, breaking the weird tension that was left behind in the Todoroki's wake.

Once again, his mother is brought to tears by his teacher's praise. It's still surreal that his childhood idol is sitting in front of him, talking about how well he's doing. Acting like he's something special when for eleven years of his life he felt like wasn't much above dirt, now he has the former, and still current in Izuku's eyes, number one hero singing his praises and he just feels like maybe he should pinch himself and make sure this isn't all some elaborate dream. That he's not going to wake up and be quirkless again, struggling beneath the sole of Bakugo's foot.

His mother continues to embarrass him each time one of his friends come by to chat. Though he's flustered and feels awkward as hell, he can't bring himself to _really_ discourage her. After all, he doesn't know that he's ever seen his mom this happy.

Eventually, the evening dies down, and Inko is invited out with some of the other parents to have drinks, which Izuku encourages her to do. His mom hasn't had friends in a long time. She'd been too concerned about being home for her son to go out for anything besides her job, and now that he was flourishing, she guessed it was okay. Plus, he was practically pushing her to follow the other departing parents. It didn't feel like a dismissal though, not like he didn't want to see her anymore. It felt like reassurance.

About five of the students walk back to the dorms together. Naturally, Uraraka and Iida are with him, accompanied my Ashido and Tsuyu. Tsuyu and Uraraka end up breaking off because Tsuyu mentions she has some family pictures and Uraraka is apparently dying to see Tsuyu as a child. Iida, as tomorrow is a school night, dutifully departs for bed with a strong recommendation that Midroiya and Ashido follow suit soon.

They don't.

They end up making quite a mess in the kitchen baking sweets, which draws several more people through to pick at the delicacies. It's easy chatter between him and Ashido. It's gotten simpler for him to find ways to talk to people. It probably helps that no one has told him to jump off the roof since arriving at UA. They pass the cooking times talking strategy; he mentions a couple of ways she might be able to use her quirk that she hasn't thought about yet, and eventually, he offers to clean up by himself after he sees her yawn for the third time.

It's past midnight and he's putting away the last dish when the doors to the dorm open again. Izuku double-checks the time. It feels later than it is, but technically it's still a bit past curfew. He's reaching for the light switch when he hears a body flop against the couch, and he peeks out to see it's Todoroki.

His gaze is to the ceiling, his hair falling over his eyes. His uniform jacket is absent, leaving only his white button up which is no longer tucked into his slacks.

Izuku pulls his lip, debating between sneaking upstairs to his room and talking to Todoroki.

In the end, his feet carry him towards the common room. He bumps into an end table in the relative darkness, and Todoroki starts, sitting up straight.

"Hey, Todoroki," Izuku says, his voice wobbly from embarrassment. He'd been trying not to scare his classmate, and ended up doing it anywhere because he's a big klutz. His knee is throbbing where the table had impacted it, and his scarred hand draws towards it to try and rub out the pain.

"Why are you up?" His friend asks, his voice raspy and strained; it sounds painful. He also notices Todoroki's shirt is damp.

"Why are you?" Izuku counters. Todoroki sighs and then stands.

"I'm not. I'm going to bed," he turns and there's just enough light for Izuku to catch the coloring on Todoroki's jaw, and he feels his own clench, his teeth grinding against each other. Izuku walks around the couch to get in front of Todoroki, and his friend turns away, keeping the right side of his face in the darkness.

"What happened." It's not a question. He doesn't phrase it as one and he doesn't intend it as one.

"It's nothing, Midoriya."

"Did your dad hit you?" Todoroki freezes. Literally freezes. Frost creeps up his arm and onto the ground from his foot, the strands of his hair stiffening. It's the question that's been plaguing Izuku for months, and now it's been tossed gracelessly out into the open. "Todoroki," he says softly. "Did your dad do that?"

Slowly, and he's not sure if it's trepidation or stiffness from cold, he turns mismatched eyes to face Izuku, and they're brimming with so many emotions chasing themselves around in circles in the colors. Confusion, hurt, and a faint, fleeting glint of hope. Izuku gestures back to the couch, and Todoroki follows, his foot leaving icy tracks as he goes, shadows playing over the darkening bruise on Todoroki's formerly unblemished cheek, the stain leaking down to the edge of his jaw, the spot Izuku had initially noticed.

They sit on the smaller couch, leaving their backs to anyone that might wander down in the night.

"He's… he's never done that before." Todoroki says finally.

"Never hit you?"

"Not like that."

"Not like what?" Izuku feels like his throat is tied in a knot, every swallow and every word having to be forcibly pulled past it, leaving an ache behind.

"When he's angry."

"But he's hit you other times?"

"Not outside of training."

' _Hit him hard. His fight with you will be a testament to how much training he has left.'_

No wonder those words had felt so weighted, like an ultimatum being dropped, though he hadn't really grasped the choices at the time. Even now, he's not sure there's anything that could have been done differently.

"Not when I didn't deserve it." Those words sink like lead in Izuku's veins. Todoroki can be a lot of things, he can be flippant and blasé, he can be blunt and kind of crass, he can be rough around the edges, but at the base, he's kind and caring and in no way deserving of the treatment it's beginning to sound like is the norm around his house.

"What changed tonight?" He decides to put aside the other information for the moment, filing it for later, for another day when his friend isn't so hurt and stricken beside him.

"We fought… He doesn't want me to be around you. Says it isn't good for my progress."

"And he hit you… for being friends with me?"

"No. He did it because I told him no…"

"You… told him no?"

"I like being your friend… I like having choices and having someone that looks at me and sees something besides that man's son. It was selfish… but I like having someone who thinks _something_ I do is good enough."

Light glistens on the tear streaking its way down Todoroki's face and this is not _fair._ Todoroki is strong, he's arguably the strongest kid in their class, and he's crying.

"Todoroki," Izuku whispers, but even that sounds too loud in the dark. "You'll always have me as a friend."

A sob breaks free of Todoroki's lips and Izuku can't take it anymore. He reaches forward and wraps his arms around Todoroki's shoulders. He resists the urge to flinch at the cold against his bare skin.

"What are you doing?" Todoroki asks his voice wavering, catching as he fights the tears.

"When I was upset, my mom would always pick me up and hug me until it didn't seem so bad anymore. I thought… maybe you needed that."

The dam that had been holding before breaks, and Todoroki is shaking and heaving against him, broken sobs muffled by his shoulder, tears dampening his All-might nightshirt.

He combs fingers through Todoroki's hair, the other rubbing up and down the chilled skin, trying to draw up some semblance of warmth, his mind flashing to a trembling Todoroki, to a time in fading light he'd explained overusing his ice can give him frostbite. He wishes for a blanket, for something dry to wrap his cold, damp friend in.

Todoroki's fingers twist around the soft cotton of Izuku's shirt, grasping at the fabric around his back. He doesn't think he's ever felt hatred like this. Not for Kacchan. Not even for Shigaraki.

He feels it now, and it lights a terrible scorch under his skin. Something dark and tainted, and he hates it. Anger drives stupid things. It doesn't drive heroes. It shouldn't' anyway.

He hates the bitterness of anger, but he can't stop it. He can't slow it down as it races through his body, through his thoughts.

No one should make his friend break down like this. _No one._

 **This took longer than I had originally planned because I decided to pretty much scrap my original starting point. I felt like there needed to be a bit more build up before everything drops, so I took it back farther.**

 **The original chapter 1 started 3 weeks before the sports festival scene in the prologue, but I just felt like I didn't have enough time to develop what I wanted to develop before Dabi drops in.**

 **This is going to be a very Todoroki centric fic but we'll have a lot of interactions with other characters besides Midoriya.**

 **I'll be on a Wednesday update schedule from here on out, I just had to get my bearings. (I really need to plan more of my story before I post, but I just get so damn excited to share that I don't).**

 **You can come talk to/yell at me protect-baby-shoto**


	3. Chapter 2

It takes a while for Todoroki to calm against him. Luckily, no one comes near the kitchen during that time. That, or anyone who tries to approach thinks better of it when they hear the unabashed sobbing.

Todoroki does a lot of things gracefully. His fighting is something to behold. His appearance certainly is attractive. His crying? Not so much. He imagines Todoroki has held it back so long, has gone so far past the breaking point, that now he can't control it. It's the desperate, ragged, throat stripping, headache-inducing, grit-your-teeth-through-it kind of crying. The kind you see when a loved one's lost, when hope is shattered. The kind you see when illusions are broken.

It's the kind that leaves you exhausted and rung out, that after it's over, you're not sure if you feel better or worse. It's the kind that resembles a dam steadily cracking under the pressure of overflowing waters until it breaks, everything good and bad coming out in a rush. It's nothing like the quiet river that Izuku so often displays.

He wonders when Todoroki last _let_ himself cry.

If there's anyone there to hold him at home?

His sister?

Eventually, the sobs die down and the heaving breaths fade into quiet tremors. Izuku's fingers are numb from his attempts to brush away the forming frost, and he feels like his teeth would be chattering without the warm tears soaking his shirt.

"I'm sorry," Todoroki rasps. His voice is hoarse from the tears and it's so worn he barely recognizes it.

"Don't," Izuku says. His voice is calm but forceful. He's still pissed. But not at the boy, the _child_ , he's holding. Never at him. He's angry at the man who got him to this point. Who _drove_ him to this point. Who hurt a child as severely as Todoroki has been hurt. Who hurts his family like they aren't people. Like they don't have breaking points even after his wife so obviously showed him that they _do,_ continuing on the way he does as if he doesn't care either way. He's angry that a child has spent more of his life scarred and scared than not. "I think that was long overdue." A mirthless laugh breaks out of the other boy. "Do you want to see recovery girl in the morning?"

"I don't think so. It's not a big deal." Izuku forces himself to swallow the words on his tongue because it _is_ a big deal. Everything about this situation is a big deal. But it's one he's helpless in. "It doesn't really even hurt. I was just... shocked." Izuku finally lets go of Todoroki, and his friend keeps his head down as he wipes fervently at his eyes.

It's futile really. His cheeks are still splotchy, his eyes still red-rimmed. Just because the tears themselves are gone doesn't mean the evidence of them is gone. Or the turmoil that caused them.

"If you change your mind. I'll go with you." Izuku offers. He looks down then and frowns. "Where are your shoes?"

"I left them at the house."

"Did you walk here?" Izuku asks.

"No."

"Oh."

"I ran."

"You-you ran," Izuku sputters.

"I didn't know what to do. He was angry and Fuyumi was panicking. She's never _seen_ him do that. She's heard I'm sure, and she's helped me clean up, but she's never had to watch. I couldn't make her watch more if he wasn't done."

"She helps you?"

"Sometimes. When he lets her. The ice comes in handy for bruises. I still can't beat him." Todoroki is slurring now. Izuku glances at the clock and sees it getting close to two am. He bites his lip, considering. He figures Todoroki has a looser tongue right now than any other time they've spoken, but he feels wrong pressing any more. If it's not something Todoroki would tell fully aware, then he shouldn't push. But... If he knows... Maybe he can help. Somehow. Even if it's not what he'd like to do. Even if it's not knocking Endeavor's teeth out or sending every one of UA's teachers to that front door. If he knows... He can do something right?

"What happens during training?" Todoroki pauses, deliberating maybe. After a moment, his head falls to rest against Izuku's shoulder.

"We spar." That doesn't sound... too terrible. "And he makes me work on my quirk. I'm still too weak. Can't," a yawn, "keep up. He's a bastard. But he's strong. I always end up on the floor."

"Does he stop?"

"When I'm too tired to get up. He gets disappointed. He'll yell for one of his staff or Fuyumi."

"Have you been to the hospital after training?"

"No need." Thank god. "If I do really bad, Mrs. Okumura fixes it."

"Todoroki, what happened to your face?" Aizawa asks the morning after dismissing class. It's just Todoroki, Uraraka, Iida and Izuku left, the latter three chatting about study group. Uraraka and Iida exchange a worried glance, and Izuku looks to their teacher, watches the stiffness creep up Todoroki's spine where his back is to Izuku. Aizawa's eyes are narrowed, harsh words hanging on his tongue and Izuku decides to do something _very_ stupid.

"We were sparring." He blurts. It's a good thing he's behind Todoroki, so Aizawa doesn't see the wide-eyed expression his friend gives him when he turns. "He's been helping me with my quirkless combat and I got carried away."

He can practically see the gears turning in his teacher's head and for a moment, it looks like he's going to call bullshit on the bluff, his gaze alternating between the two students before he lets out an annoyed grunt.

"Be more careful next time." He says. "I mean it. Do you need to see recovery girl?" Todoroki shakes his head. "Come here."

Izuku gives a quick look to Uraraka and Iida, hoping to convey that everything's fine, and the two leave, albeit slowly. Aizawa is prodding the bones in Todoroki's face, and his friend is standing there, his face carefully blank. If it hurts, he's not showing it.

He determines Todoroki is fine to let it heal naturally, and they move to leave.

"A word, Midoriya," Aizawa says.

"I'm going to be late-" he tries to protest.

"A word," Aizawa repeats, his tone leaving no room for argument. Todoroki looks at him, his eyes unreadable before walking out. Izuku stands meekly before Aizawa's desk, trying desperately not to show how nervous he is.

"Sparring. Are you sure that's what happened?" It's an out. It's a chance to drop the stupid lie, to tell him what really happened. But there's something holding his tongue, keeping the truth back. Todoroki _trusts_ him. If he does this now, he may never trust him again. He may not have someone to turn to the next time his father loses his temper.

"Yes." Technically, that's not a full lie.

"With you." Aizawa presses, and now it's a full lie.

"Yes." His teacher looks at him and Izuku refuses to break eye contact.

"Fine. Get out." He does his best not to run, not to show how eager he is to be out of that situation. He's not sure he succeeds.

Todoroki is outside the door, within earshot, his eyes to the ground. They take a few steps before Todoroki speaks.

"I never asked you to lie for me."

"I didn't think you'd tell the truth."

"I wasn't going to."

"Why?" Izuku asks. It's apparently the wrong question because Todoroki thins his lips, his fingers twitching at his sides, and says nothing. Izuku frowns. He hears Aizawa's door click shut back down the hall, and he's not sure if he's hoping his teacher didn't hear their conversation, or if he's hoping that he _did._

Luckily, the times Todoroki has to go home are few and far between throughout the semester. They are still being kept on campus, trips off campus requiring special permission and more often than not, they have some sort of training on the weekend occupying their time. Then after the licensing exam, they're either busy with internships, or remedial courses. That doesn't stop Endeavor from making his presence known. He calls more frequently than anyone would like, leaving Todoroki in a generally foul mood and occasionally he shows up on campus to see his son, though he rarely uses that word.

In tandem to the relative quiet of incidents in the Todoroki house, somewhat remarkably, villain activity has also been pretty low considering the symbol of peace was no more. There were no large-scale, organized crimes, and barely any indicators that any kind of activity stemmed from the League. But still, there was more than enough petty crime to go around and no shortage in singular activity.

Fortunately, it keeps Endeavor pretty busy. Unfortunately, it means his conquests are broadcasted _all_ _the_ _fucking_ _time_. Izuku can only find so many excuses as to why the usually hero obsessed 'fanboy' -as he's been dubbed by Kirishima- avoids the news surrounding the new number one hero like the plague. Or why he turns into a spastic monkey whenever it's on and Todoroki enters the room.

Regardless, he supposes it _is_ good news. Everyone had been prepared for the League to unleash itself, for the underground to become known again, but so far, it just hadn't.

Not only that, but there were also no more targeted attacks on UA.

Some people are changing their opinions on Endeavor's qualifications as the number one hero, citing the continued decrease as evidence his power is dissuading attacks. Izuku scoffs at those people. If villains are quiet, it's because they want to be. A higher capture rate is hardly more impressive than All-might's power to them.

Which is why Izuku isn't sure if he should feel relieved, or if the apprehension that had been hanging over him like a dark rain cloud was justified.

The heavens begin to open when just before winter break Nedzu announces the change in dormitory status from 'mandatory' to 'elective.'

Most of the class chooses to stay. It's convenient after all, and they've kind of gotten used to living together. They've gotten used to group study sessions and weekend movie parties. They've gotten used to chatting over breakfast and groggily brushing teeth next to a friend. They've even gotten used to Iida's directions and attempts at reducing the tomfoolery.

Eighteen of the twenty remain on campus but deign to utilize some of their weekend time to visit family.

Two of the twenty no longer live with them.

One of the twenty because they've been dropped from class 1-A altogether, and chose to pursue a transfer to another school.

One of the twenty is Todoroki.

Izuku _hates_ it.

The only spot of light, the only solace from the downpour in this situation is that half of the winter break will be taken up by another off-campus training camp. And it _is_ mandatory.

Izuku is sitting on Todoroki's futon as his friend packs, scrolling through hero news on his phone. There's a crime spree in the western sector of the country that heroes have thus far been unable to quell.

"Maybe your dad will get pulled out of town for a while," Izuku muses as Todoroki zips his duffel.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Todoroki says. Izuku frowns. He's been even quieter than usual since the announcement.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asks, setting his phone aside. Todoroki opens his mouth, prepared to utter the same response he's been giving everybody that's asked, the same meaningless platitudes he's responded with seventeen other times when his classmates had lamented that he wouldn't be staying the winter with them. Holding back that it wouldn't just be the winter break but that he wasn't coming back at all.

"I just… got used to it is all." Todoroki says, his eyes on the duffel that really no longer needs as much attention as it's getting. "It'll be fine. I've dealt with him most of my life. A few months reprieve doesn't really change anything." It's the most he's said in hours, but Izuku can't find it in himself to be very happy about it. He sounds so… resigned, which he kind of gets. Izuku feels the same.

Without doing something that Todoroki would be mad at him for, there's nothing they can do. Endeavor said he wants him home, and since he's the father, Todoroki has to go. Because nobody else knows what a poor excuse for a father he actually is. No one knows what he's put Todoroki through all these years. Hell, Izuku doesn't even fully know. He's got more of a picture than he used to have, but it's still pretty blurry. The blur is enough for him to be concerned for his friend without feeling silly about it.

"If he does go away for a while, you're welcome to hang out with me. I'll be visiting my mom some, over break. She loved you at the parent-teacher conference, and Uraraka and Iida have already been to my house." Izuku says, trying to be nonchalant about it, but also making it seem like a good option.

"Oh…" Todoroki looks sad now, and Izuku's heart pulls. "I guess with him around more I won't get to see her as much over the break." The words are quiet, and Izuku isn't sure if they were meant for him to hear at all.

"He doesn't like you seeing your mom?" Todoroki shakes his head. "But she's your mom."

"He says I'm too much like her, and that she's still unstable. Her doctors won't really tell me anything, but she seems better. Happy even. Of course, I didn't notice she wasn't okay the first time until it was too late."

"This sucks."

"No shit."

Winter break lasts four weeks. The first two they are free to do whatever they want to do as long as they stay within a ten-hour vicinity. The second two will be another intensive training camp.

Izuku keeps repeating to himself that it's just two weeks.

He spends the first couple of days vegging out with the others in the dorms, but slowly, more and more of them pack up and head off to see family. Iida is one of the first, promising to send updates on his brother's physical therapy. He'll never walk again, but that doesn't mean there isn't work to be done. Most of the girls leave early in the first couple of days, planning trips and workout sessions. Izuku subtly mentions Dagobah beach as a good spot since not as many people know it's cleaned up.

It's day four and he's sitting at the kitchen table, looking over a winter assignment while his mom flips through TV channels, when his phone rings. He's only a little embarrassed at how quickly he answers. Granted, it's been four days of utter _silence_ , so on that thought, maybe he isn't actually embarrassed at all. He is, however, immensely relieved.

"Hello?"

" _Midoriya?"_

"Hey, Todoroki." He barely bites back the 'are you okay' wanting to lurch its way off his tongue.

" _Does your offer still stand?"_

"My- oh. Yeah of course."

" _Dad got pulled away on a trip. I wasn't going to call – but,"_ he doesn't even get a chance to feel relieved when he's swept up by a new speaker.

" _Hello?"_

"Um. Hi?" Izuku is confused at the new female voice. It's not at all familiar, and he can hear Todoroki protesting in the background.

" _What's your address? I'm sending him over now."_

"Who is this?" Izuku asks.

" _His sister. Shouto, go pack something. If you aren't ready I'll send you with what you have on and nothing else."_ He hears what might be an explicative, and then silence.

"It's nice to meet you I guess?" Izuku sees his mom turn towards him, a question on her face. He holds up a finger, letting her know that he'll tell her as soon as he himself knows what in the hell is going on.

" _Sorry. He mentioned in passing that he had a friend he could see and I think it would be good for him."_

"Is he okay?" Izuku asks and then bites on his tongue. It hurts and he tastes copper, grimacing at the metallic taste. Fuyumi, he thinks that's her name, doesn't speak for what feels like forever. He even looks down at the phone to make sure they're still connected.

 _"I think maybe we should talk later,"_ she says finally, and her voice is no longer giving off the air of authority it had when she'd ordered off her brother. Now it sounds almost childlike, small and quiet, almost meek. _"Dad will be gone a couple of days, minimum. I have a remedial class so I won't be here and he… he doesn't need to be here by himself."_

She could easily just mean that it would be boring, or that he would be alone, but there's something hanging there unspoken, something foreboding. Izuku had thought the only problem with Todoroki going home washis father, but it's sounding like that may not be the case.

He glances at his mom. He hadn't _actually_ asked her if Todoroki could stay, but he doesn't think she'll have a problem. She wasn't overly thrilled with Endeavor's behavior at the parent-teacher conference, and Izuku had heard an earful of complaints about the man and his quote-unquote parenting style.

Oh, he wishes he could tell her, but at least she wasn't praising the man anymore. It tests him more than it should every time he _does_ hear someone talking positively about the hero and it shouldn't. Objectively, he is a good hero. Even Todoroki can acknowledge that. It shouldn't make his mouth want to twist up like he's eaten something horribly sour anytime the news mentions he stopped a crime or did something a hero is _supposed_ to do.

"Okay." He tells her the address, trying and failing to ignore his mother's rather self-satisfied look from the other room.

In the end, he doesn't end up getting to talk to Todoroki again over the phone. His sister hangs up pretty promptly with the promise that Todoroki will be dropping by within the hour.

He looks across the room to his mother who is trying and failing to act like she is watching the TV and not waiting for the absolute minimum amount of time before launching into her interrogation.

"Um, so, is it okay if a friend comes over for a couple days?" He asks. It's a poor way to start because apparently said friend is either already on his way, or about to be very soon.

"I'm not sure there's a point in me pretending to say no," she says, a sly smile on her face. "I don't mind, Izuku. Like I said when we met your teachers. I'm just… really glad to see you so happy. To see you with _so_ many friends." She says, and her voice is shaking as she puts up a valiant effort against the waterworks.

Throughout his primary school, he'd tried to keep to himself the struggles he was facing. It had made his mom so _sad_ when they'd found out he was quirkless, the last thing she needed was to know that not only were his dreams crushed but that he was getting bullied for it as well. Not to mention Kacchan. Sure, Kacchan was mean and pushed him down a lot, but if he told his mom, she would make him stop hanging out with him and Izuku didn't want that. He still wanted to see all the great things Kacchan could do, the things _he_ couldn't, and at the time had thought he wouldn't _ever_ be able to do.

He supposes, with the way his mom has been since school started at UA, he hadn't been as good at hiding it as he had thought.

"Yeah… It's different, huh." He offers. It's not a lie, and it's not even an understatement. For the first time in _years_ , he's felt like he belongs somewhere. He has people supporting him, teachers looking out for him, and he has _friends_. He has people that want to hang out with him, who value what he has to say.

"Which friend is it?" His mom asks.

"It's Todoroki," he says, not meeting her gaze, and hoping the heat on his face isn't as noticeable as it feels. So maybe he has a _tiny_ crush on his classmate. That's to be expected. They're _teenagers_ after all. By this time next year, half the dorm will probably be banging.

"Todoroki. The-" Izuku can hear it coming, ' _the flame hero's son'_ or _'the top hero's son.'_

"The one I lost to at the sports festival," Izuku interrupts. "We talked to him at the conference." His mom looks momentarily taken aback, and to be fair, Izuku's tone had been on the side of snappish. He can't _help it_. He knows Todoroki can't stand that the only reason anyone recognizes him is his father; that he's always mentioned in relation to his father, like it's the only thing worth knowing about him.

"I was going to say the one you _like_." Oh. That might be worse. "He seemed sad." She says. It's nonchalant, and she's already got the remote again, trying to find something to watch, but somehow it makes him feel warm. He remembers thinking that, about Todoroki. Mere hours after he'd been told he was going to be beaten by the boy, that was all he could think. Staring down the immense power he was about to be feet away from, his only thoughts were that he looked so _sad_.

"He and his dad… aren't exactly on good terms," Izuku says, and damn if that isn't an understatement. More like, 'picture dad of the year, now imagine the opposite of that, and then you have Endeavor.'

She doesn't know any more than Todoroki broadcasts. That he and his dad don't get along. He'd said as much when he and his mom had gotten around to re-watching the festival.

"He's definitely not a pleasant man," his mother says, and it makes Izuku snort. "I don't like the way he talks." He doesn't offer anything up to that, knowing if he says much more he's going to give away more than he needs to. More than Todoroki wants him to.

They end up lapsing into a more pleasant conversation, Izuku's homework forgotten. There's a special on about All-might that Izuku ends up watching as his mother goes to make snacks for when his friend gets here. The doorbell rings, and he thinks maybe he should have at least changed out of his athletic shorts and sleep shirt. _Too late now_.

His mom meets him at the door, and Izuku doesn't mean to, but he finds himself on bated breath, wondering how much explaining what's on the other side of the door will take.

When the door swings open, he's met by two people, but only one set of eyes actually looking at him. Todoroki's eyes are firmly set on the doormat, his head down and to the side, his hand clutching the strap of a bag slung over his shoulder. Fuyumi is looking between them both, nervous energy practically seeping out of her. She reaches out to his mother first, shaking her hand and offering an introduction.

"Hello, I'm Fuyumi Todoroki, Shouto's older sister. It's very nice to meet you," she says. Her voice has regained some of the maturity it had earlier in their phone conversation. "I believe you've met Shouto," she says, looking back to her brother. "You could pretend to have manners you know," she says to him, but her voice is gentler than her words would indicate.

"It's nice to see you again Mrs. Midoriya," he says quietly, dipping his head in a small bow. Fuyumi's worried look doesn't escape Izuku's gaze, and by the furrow between his mother's brows, he's not sure it escaped hers either.

"I'm Inko Midoriya, Izuku's mother. Would you like to come in for some tea?" Inko asks. Todoroki says nothing, and Izuku is seconds from dragging his friend into a hug.

"You know, that would be lovely. Let me go move the car," she says turning, her bun twisted with stains of crimson bouncing as she goes down the stairs.

"Todoroki?" Izuku says when his friend makes no move to come in. He looks up then, eyes lined with shadows and a purpling bruise by his right eye, coloring the skin beside his bright scar. There's a gash in the middle and Izuku can feel his mouth twisting, a mirror of the way his heart is straining in his chest. Izuku steps forward, grasping the sleeve of Todoroki's jacket and tugging, not enough to actually _make_ him move, but apparently enough to kick-start him into walking past the doorway.

He lets go when Todoroki bends to take off his shoes; not missing the knowing look Inko is giving him over Todoroki's back. He makes the universal sign of 'knock that shit off, mom,' but doesn't quite finish before Todoroki looks up, drawing a confused look.

"I'll go get some tea started," Inko says from behind them. Almost imperceptibly, Todoroki stiffens at the sound of her voice behind him.

"We'll be in the living room," Izuku says before urging Todoroki down the hall and towards his bedroom. It's much less… decorated now that he's living at the dorms. He'd taken most of his merchandise with him after all, leaving his furniture, back up bedding, and a couple of posters. Todoroki stands in the doorway as Izuku mills about, tossing the few errant items into place. "You can set your bag down anywhere," he says offhandedly. He's tucking his sheet back in when he realizes Todoroki still hasn't moved.

He walks back over and holds out his hand, his scarred hand, for the bag. Todoroki hands it over, and Izuku drops it on the bed. He shrugs his shoulders before heading back out into the hallway, towards the living room. He can hear, just barely, Todoroki shuffling behind him.

His mother is still busying herself in the kitchen as he leads, or rather herds, Todoroki onto the smaller couch beside him.

"How are you, Todoroki?" Izuku asks, setting free the words that have been burning on his tongue since he picked up the phone and heard his tired voice, the ones that have been searing his mouth since he'd opened up the door to him and his sister.

"I'm fine," Todoroki says. His head is tilted back, resting on the couch cushions, eyes shut.

"Are you? Cause you look like shit and you haven't texted me since four am the night before you left for home." Todoroki winces.

"He took my phone. Sorry."

"And the other part?" He implores.

"Guess he figured he'd get called away. Kept me busy. I'm just tired."

"And your face?" Izuku asks. Todoroki doesn't bother opening his eyes.

"I got distracted and forgot to block. I told her to let me go see Mrs. Okumura before she brought me here." Todoroki says, his voice betraying his irritation. Frankly, Izuku is a little pissed that of all things, he's mad that his sister didn't help him cover up what happened; he's pissed that his friend's frustration is misdirected, targeting the wrong things.

Izuku doesn't get the chance to say anything in retort because his mother has run out of things to pretend to do, and is now setting tea and snacks down on the coffee table. There's a tapping at the door, to which Inko calls out to just come in.

Fuyumi comes back in, stumbling slightly as she discards her shoes and walks, though it's a little fast for a walk, her steps nearly as deceptively light as her brother's.

"Still getting used to parking when there are people around. When I get to school the parking lot is a ghost land, so there's nothing to hit," Fuyumi says with a chuckle.

"I haven't driven in _years_ ," Inko says. "I'm not sure I could manage a straight line at this point."

There's some idle chatter. They talk about Fuyumi's work and about Inko's life, which devolves into talk about Izuku's childhood.

"He was always wanting to play heroes as a kid. Running around in his little cape."

"Is that so?" Fuyumi says, a gentle smile on her face.

"Oh I know I have pictures."

"Mom!" Izuku protests, but it's to no avail. She finds the albums and shows Todoroki's sister.

"Such a cute child." His mom offers stories, anecdotes, all sorts of _embarrassing_ information. Fuyumi has little to add. "I don't really have pictures of Shouto," Fuyumi says, though not really _to_ anyone.

"Why?" His mother asks.

"He doesn't like photos to be taken, and dad isn't sentimental. I managed to wrangle him into one with me as a gift for our mom."

"Oh, does she travel?"

"No, she's… sick. She's been in the hospital since Shouto was six." Another page of pictures, another set of All-might onezies. "Really an All-might fan huh?" She asks as if it isn't obvious. "Shouto liked All-might a lot too when he was little."

It's a Segway, carefully placed. It's similar enough that it doesn't jar the conversation but different enough that going back to what she said is awkward.

"Really? More than his father?" Izuku tries not to flinch. His mother is prying, he knows. She's aware of the stress between those two; she's trying to find out _why._ He's about to check on Todoroki when he feels a weight on his shoulder. He turns his head and his nose brushes soft hair, warm breath on his neck. Well, somebody is looking out for him. He's not sure Todoroki could have kept his chill if he'd heard what his mom had asked.

"All-might has a certain… appeal that our dad lacks," Fuyumi says. It's a political answer. It lacks any kind of personal detail, any kind of emotion.

"So I've heard. He convinced me to let Izuku into the dorms after that catastrophic camping incident, though it was a two-on-one effort really," she says, giving Izuku a look.

"I said I'd be fine either way," Izuku says quietly, not wanting to disturb his sleeping leech.

"Yeah, Aizawa had his work cut out for him as well."

"I can imagine. They've been through the ringer."

"It was less that. Shouto came out of all of their debacles relatively unscathed. He just felt like they were encroaching on his territory. Telling him how to raise his son outside of school hours."

"Well, My Izuku came out of every one of those with terrible injuries, most of which weren't able to be repaired completely. Even at the sports festival where they were supervised!"

"It was definitely an intense year. I can't say I particularly enjoyed watching any of those matches. The boy that won was frightening."

"Your brother frightened me when he was facing my boy," Inko says, and Izuku sighs.

"It's not easy being related to heroes, huh?" Fuyumi says, and though the words seem as if they're meant to be joking, there's a tightness to them that prevents any of them from laughing.

"No. It isn't," Inko says.

"I _told_ you, most of that was my fault." Izuku says, then, locking eyes with Fuyumi. "I think some heroes deliberately do things that make it harder on their families." Sensing the impending awkwardness, he adds, "for better or for worse," a smile loosely tacked on his face, the edges feeling like they're peeling back with each passing second. Fuyumi is blinking at him blankly, but then her eyes pass to his right, gaze going fond as she looks at her brother.

"You certainly did a number on him," Fuyumi says, her eyes have shifted and are warm where they are locked onto Izuku. "He's been happier since then. Though I swear, when we are able to talk it's always Midoriya this or Midoriya that. Other classmates come up, but not nearly as much as you do. When he mentioned you had invited him over, well, I wasn't going to let him say no."

"I'm glad you didn't," Izuku says, his eyes sliding from Fuyumi's softened gaze to the slumbering hero-to-be on his shoulder.

Fuyumi leaves shortly after, saying she has some prep to do before a meeting with students. She thanks Inko for her hospitality, and looks at her brother, still plastered against Izuku's side, gives a mouthed thank you to Izuku himself, and then she's gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

It's twenty minutes later that Todoroki wakes, eyes bleary and confused, a red mark on his cheek where it's been pressed to Izuku's shoulder.

"Tired, huh?" Izuku asks, poking at the colored spot on Todoroki's cheek.

Todoroki stretches, his shirt rising to reveal a strip of pale skin. Pale skin marred with an ugly bruise on his right side. Izuku's blood boils at the sight and then promptly freezes when he hears his mother's soft gasp from the hall, the mail in her hands gripped tightly between her fingers.

"Todoroki, you're hurt," she says, and he doesn't know if he's ever seen Todoroki move as fast as he does when he puts his arms down, his face red up to his ears.

"It's nothing, I was sparring and I got distracted, missed a block that I shouldn't have missed." Izuku wants to gag, hearing that excuse. He looks to his mom, to her pensive face, the way she's regarding the boy in front of her, the guest in her home.

"Am I to assume that's also what happened to your face?" Shouto nods. "May I see?" She asks coolly. Todoroki's head snaps up, his eyes meeting hers and he so closely resembles a deer caught in headlights. Inko is coming closer now, her steps slow and measured, but Todoroki is still subtly shrinking back into the couch. She stops in front of him, her fingers outstretched. Todoroki heaves a sigh and then meets her eyes. She tucks her fingers under his chin, holding him still while she looks at it. She does something similar to what Aizawa had done in class after Todoroki's last injury, asking him periodically if there was any pain.

He never said there was.

"Well, it isn't broken."

"I know," he says. "Fuyumi checked."

"Oh. Would you like a dressing for the cut?" He seems prepared to decline but purses his lips and nods.

"I wouldn't want it to re-open and stain something." He's looking at his hands, not looking at either one of the Midoriyas. He doesn't see the way Inko's mouth tightens as she walks away for the first aid kit.

When she comes back her eyes are determined, but her hands are gentle as she applies the bandage.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

He doesn't answer.

"Would you let me see your side?"

"I'd rather not," he mumbles.

"Will you let Izuku look? I want to make sure you didn't damage anything." Todoroki gives a slow nod.

"Come on," Izuku says, standing and walking down the hall to the bathroom across from his old bedroom. When the lock falls heavy behind them Todoroki lets out a shuddering sigh. "Let me see," Izuku says, his green eyes bright and determined in a way that's usually reserved for his quirk.

"You don't have to," he tries to argue, but Izuku refuses to relent.

"It's not as bad as it looks," he tries again. Izuku just looks at him. "Fine," he huffs. He shrugs off the zip-up hoodie, setting it on the counter, and tugs the v-neck shirt over his head.

There's the bruise across his lower abdomen, the one his mother had mistakenly seen, and there's a burn across his ribcage, both injuries on his right side.

"Turn around," Izuku says, his voice a carefully constructed simmer. Todoroki hesitates and Izuku walks around him instead. There's another burn on his left arm, this one brighter and angrier than the one on the right. His right shoulder is also marred, and there's a bruise on his lower back.

Todoroki is quiet while Izuku looks.

"Wait here," Izuku says before opening the door, hating the frightened look in Todoroki's eyes. He'd been so relaxed, so calm, so happy back at the dorms. "Where's the burn cream?" He asks when he sees his mom cleaning up the remainders of the tea.

Her eyes widen slightly before she opens a drawer, pulling it out and handing him the meager first aid kit they'd had before heroics entered Izuku's life.

"That wasn't the only one then?" She asks.

"No," Izuku mutters and walks away.

When he opens the door again, Todoroki is sitting on the toilet seat, his head in his hands.

"Is there more?" He asks, his voice sounding stronger than he feels. Todoroki nods. "What happened?"

"It's nothing, I'm slow with my left side and I was distracted."

"This isn't nothing, Todoroki," Izuku hisses.

"You don't get it."

"Then explain it to me."

"This is what happens in hero families. It's just worse because he can burn me. Mrs. Okumura was at work last night or she would have fixed it."

"Turn around," Izuku says., his tone careful not to betray his growing frustration. He's angry, but it isn't for his friend, and the last thing he wants is for his friend to _think_ he's mad at _him_.

Todoroki complies silently, straddling the toilet seat, letting his arms rest on the back and dropping his head to them. Izuku spreads some of the ointment on his fingers, rubbing it into the burn on his shoulder gently. "He does this often?"

"It's training," Todoroki grits out, though he's not sure if it's pain or irritation.

"This is not training." Izuku bites. "This is too far for training."

"And what Bakugo has done to you isn't too far?"

"It was!" Izuku exclaims, squirting ointment onto the floor when his fist clenches involuntarily. "It was. He did a lot of things that were excessive. He was a big bully most of the time I knew him. I know his behavior was wrong, you don't seem to get that this is _bad._ "

"You don't seem to get that this is normal. It's how heroes are trained."

"No, it isn't!" Izuku is losing his temper fast. He really needs to put a lid on it. He takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and releases. He does it twice more while he's dressing the first burn. "Is that what he told you?"

"It's not different from what we do at UA." Todoroki mumbles.

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long. When did this start?" Todoroki hesitates, and that's Izuku's first hint.

"I was five."

"You don't think it's wrong to burn a five-year-old?"

"He didn't burn me then," Todoroki argues. "He just… made me work on my reflexes. He wasn't kind, and it sucked, but it's the only reason I'm strong. It's how you get better."

"How often did he encourage you? Did he tell you what you were doing was good?"

"I don't know."

"What happened after the festival? When you got second. Was he proud?"

"Of course not," Todoroki snaps. "I was there to show I was ready to take on All-might and I couldn't even beat Bakugo. If you hadn't yelled at me half our match you would have beaten me too. He was pissed and he was _right_."

"My mom was proud of me. Uraraka's parents were proud of her. Tsuyu's family was proud and she didn't even make the third round."

"It's not the same."

"Because our parents aren't heroes?" Izuku asks. "Talk to Iida sometime then. Ask him how excited _he_ was to tell Ingenium he was tied for third. Ask him about _his_ childhood."

"Fine." Todoroki bites out.

"Turn," Izuku says once more. Todoroki does, and Izuku tries not to blush. It's harder this time, face-to-face like this as he rubs the salve into his burns.

"Thank you," Todoroki says, his voice quiet.

"I don't know what you're thanking me for."

"For being you. Apart from the stubbornness. You could take that down a notch."

"So could you."

They re-emerge and Izuku leads them into his room, drawing back the covers from his bed again.

"Lie down a minute. I'm going to see what mom is planning for dinner." He turns to leave but is stopped in his tracks by cool fingers around his wrist.

"Don't tell her. Please," Todoroki says. His voice is smaller than he's ever heard it, and he doesn't know if something Izuku said earlier is getting to him, or if it's something else, but he reluctantly nods anyway, not quite able to relish in the relieved sigh that escapes his friend's lips.

"You have to tell someone," Izuku mutters.

"I told you." Izuku leaves before he has a chance to respond to that.

 _Telling me is kind of the problem,_ Izuku thinks.

His mom is peeling potatoes in the kitchen, and he silently takes up the knife and starts cutting the carrots beside her. He knew she was going to single him out at some point, might as well get it over with.

"Did that happen at school?" His mother asks, not looking up from her task.

"It was hero training. It got a little out of hand."

"But not at school?" Izuku hesitates.

"No," he says because he can't flat out lie to his mom. He just can't. It's hard enough to fabricate about One for all, he doesn't want to lie about this too. Especially not when she could help.

"Is he alright?" Izuku bites his tongue. If he isn't careful, he's going to swallow the damn thing or choke on blood one of these days.

"He's fine." The words drip like acid.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" She says, setting down both potato and peeler.

"I know, mom," he says, and oh he wishes he could tell her. Tell anyone. He wishes he could have told All-might before Kamino. Let him show up at Endeavor's doorstep and put an end to this bullshit.

He wishes he could tell Aizawa and let him drag the bastard into a police cruiser by his scarf.

He wishes he could tell _anyone_ who has more power to fix this than he does. He's sixteen, what the hell is he able to do. He's sixteen. He has no influence, no power, no sway. He has nothing but comfort to offer. That's going to be real damn helpful if Endeavor decides to beat Todoroki to death one day. Realistically, he knows that's unlikely. He spent too much time 'training' Todoroki to kill him.

Though, that was almost the same reasoning that he'd used to say he wouldn't hit Todoroki either and he'd been wrong.

"I don't like his father," she says suddenly, and Izuku narrowly avoids cutting his finger. "Do you know how long he's had that scar? Todoroki?"

"A long time. Almost ten years," Izuku says, remembering Fuyumi's words. He'd known what happened, he hadn't known the timeline of it though. Hadn't known his mother had hurt him when he was young, barely of grade school age, barely more than a toddler. That he's been walking around with that reminder on his face for ten years. "Most people don't ask about it."

"There was a press conference about that time, with him and I believe All-might was there. I think it was about your friend."

"What do you mean?"

"He said something about 'clearing the waters' about rumors. I didn't think much of it when it happened, partially because it was so far removed from us. Heroes are like celebrities, they seem like abstract things rather than people. I never imagine you'd be going to school with that boy."

"He talked about Todoroki?"

"I think so. About his injury. I don't remember much, I only saw it the once and I didn't want you to watch it. It wasn't the best interview."

"All-might mentioned he and Endeavor hadn't spoken in ten years." Inko shrugs but takes the knife from Izuku.

"Go be with your friend." She says. He knows she isn't done with this topic, that it's going to stew in her head until more of the information makes sense, the same way it does him. Like mother like son after all.

When he makes it back to his own room Todoroki is curled up on his bed, under an All-might blanket, sleeping.

He grabs his headphones and his phone and sits at his desk, a quick Google search pulling up what he believes he's looking for.

 **Well, that's another chapter that got kind of out of hand in length. (My updates generally run like 3-4k. Not 6-7 :P)**

 **Next week will probably be either a really short or skipped update because I am getting married that weekend and we are going to be pretty busy, so we'll see! After that, we'll be back to the update schedule.**

 **Anyway, love to hear from you guys, you can find me at protect-baby-shoto**

 **Hope you all enjoyed (I have reasons for doing things the way I'm doing them :P)**

 **(I just saw the movie FYI and I am LIVING).**

 **Until next time,**

 **Cassie**


	4. Chapter 3

_**Couple of quick things:**_

 _ **I will probably reupload this chapter later with some minor adjustments.**_

 _ **It is late but technically not late (it is still wednesday here!)**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 _Earlier this evening, we had an alarming call-in to the hero rescue line. An anonymous caller requested aid to the household of number two pro hero Endeavor. All-might, in town for an extended stay following hero con, responded to the call._

 _It is unclear the nature of the visit, only that it surrounded Endeavor's youngest son._

Izuku looks down at the cursor, showing several minutes still remaining. The video transitions to another news broadcast.

 _We are here at Shizuoka General Hospital where six-year-old Shouto Todoroki is currently hospitalized. After the emergency call several days ago, we are finally told the call had been in response to severe injury to the youngest of Endeavor's children._

 _Endeavor had been away in Shibuya during the time of the incident and All-might had been the one to arrive on scene. Of the five household members, only Shouto had any injuries._

 _He is currently receiving the highest medical care Japan can provide. More tonight at 11._

Izuku looks up, taking in Todoroki's peaceful face. His lips are parted, his left cheek burrowed in the pillow on Izuku's bed, obscuring his most recent injury. The video continues, and he turns his attention back to it, where, much like the UA panel following the training camp incident, several heroes and people Izuku doesn't recognize are lined up at a table. Among them are All-might and Endeavor.

 _"All-might, can you tell us what happened when you arrived at the Todoroki household on Friday night?" There are camera flashes going off in every direction, sound bites and microphones littering the crowd, each waiting like sharks on a beach for information._

 _"There wasn't much of a situation left by the time I arrived. Young Todoroki was in his room with his sister soothing the wound. His elder brothers were in the kitchen with their mother."_

 _"Endeavor, is it true your wife has been admitted to psychiatric care?" Endeavor looks as unfriendly as he ever has, arms crossed, his ever-present flames burning on his face._

 _"It is."_

 _"Our reports indicate that you checked her in there? Care to comment why?" The man to Endeavor's left leans in to say something, his hand blocking his mouth as he speaks into the hero's ear._

Must be a publicity agent or something from the agency, Izuku muses. He's giving advice on what to and what not to say to these people _._

 _"I did admit her there. She presented as a danger to her children in her current state."_

 _"Enji," All-might says from beside him, but Endeavor doesn't even look his way._

 _"The boy is fine, luckily. She will stay under their care until the child's safety can be guaranteed."_

It doesn't go unnoticed by Izuku that Endeavor says child singularly when he has four. He knows enough about Todoroki and his father to know Endeavor didn't really care about any of his other children. They'd been fleeting thoughts at the most, though perhaps in this case, that was better than having his undivided attention.

 _"Can you tell us the gravity of his injuries?"_

 _"She burned him." Another reporter pipes up, a woman this time, her voice sharp when she speaks._

 _"Do you have a response for those who may claim it seems unlikely your wife, a notarized ice quirk user, happened to_ burn _a child_ _?_ _A comment for those who may argue the parent with the fire quirk is more likely to be responsible." Endeavor's flames flash brighter a moment, but it's All-might who responds._

 _"As it's been stated, Endeavor was in a different prefecture on business. Not to mention that he is a reputable hero and would never conceive of laying harm to his children. What happened was a regrettable instance of fragile mental health befalling harm and those involved are getting proper care and will make full recoveries. You will do well not to try and slander heroes where it is unnecessary."_

Izuku winces. Of course All-might would want to believe that. It's probably inconceivable to the man that someone that high in the heroic hierarchy could be a deplorable human being.

 _Endeavor is seething, his blue eyes burning with hate brighter and hotter than the flames that accentuate his costume._

 _"Come here, Shouto," Endeavor growls, and from the corner, previously unseen, is a very small, very blank-faced Todoroki. The features that are predominantly Endeavor's are covered by white gauze. Covering his eye down below his cheek and wrapping around, obscuring most of his scarlet hair._

 _He walks, small, tiny, footsteps towards his father, who is now standing and walking around to the front of the tables._

He's just so little… So young to be so traumatized… Izuku can't help the tears that well up, though he's not sure if they're sadness or anger. Sadness for his friend, anger at his situation, at the man who created it and refuses to let him out of it.

 _"The boy is fine. He is healing from the burn his_ mother _caused. You'll see this child become a hero yet, and this small injury will_ not _hold him back." Endeavor spits those words like a threat, wields them like a weapon, sharp and dangerous. All-might looks concerned in the background, downright twitching to come forward and comfort the small boy. In the end, he does._

 _"I'll let you finish up, Enji. Come on," he says, extending a massive hand to Todoroki, who takes it gingerly. He looks at his father, but the expression is obscured by the camera's angle. All-might leads him off stage, picking him up under the arms when they reach the stairs, the last look he gets at Todoroki is of a startled grey eye looking up at All-might like he's seen the sun itself._

 _"I think this should suffice. Any further questions can be directed towards the police, I have done my part."_

 _The crowd of reporters goes uproarious, but the hero turns a scathing eye to them and continuous on his path._

The video cuts out, showing snapshots of sightings of Todoroki around town with his father, always as far away as he can manage from the man, even when the hero has him by the wrist not so delicately.

The first few depict him much the same as he seemed at the press conference, wrapped in gauze and very, _very_ sad.

As they go on, and the wrappings diminish until it's barely more than an eyepatch, and then, it's nothing at all. Just the bright red blistering he's gotten so used to seeing on an older Todoroki and makes him nauseous to see on a child that size.

Todoroki stands on Endeavor's left in most of these, keeping him within his field of vision. This doesn't change even once the wrappings are gone and he can see out of both eyes again.

Eyes that seem to get dimmer with each passing snapshot.

 _"Theory time with Kurosaki!" A voice says, showing a chipper female in a button up shirt. "This time, I'd like to talk about the Todoroki family. As most of you know, several months ago, quite a scandal hit the number two hero_ _'s_ _radar. This incident has been swept majorly under the rug since, but I'd like to talk about it f_ _or_ _just a minute._

 _"Can we take a moment to appreciate the irony that somehow, the child ends up with a burn covering most of the left side of his face, from a mother who wields ice? Like, seriously. There is a good part of the internet, myself included, who think this was a not so clever framing of the Todo-mom._

 _"Anyone who knows Endeavor knows he has little patience for reporters or even fans, and we are well acquainted with his poor temper. Who's to say poor little Shouto Todoroki didn't incite his father's wrath? He then uses his connections to fabricate an alibi and coerce an inpatient psychiatric stay._

 _"Sources say the hospital the Todoroki matriarch is staying at received a_ sizeable _donation from Endeavor's hero agency. A payment out of thanks, or the continued measures of a bribe? We may never really know."_

The video cuts out then, showing instead another news clip.

 _"Once more, we find trouble in the Todoroki household. Police have released an APB on the oldest son of number two hero Endeavor: Touya Todoroki. The child is sixteen, average height, slender build, turquoise eyes and white hair last seen at the Todoroki manor on the weekend. If anyone has information on this missing person_ _,_ _please, call the police or the hero emergency hotline."_

Another transition.

 _"We are back in Theory time with Kurosaki once again discussing the ever growing family troubles in the Todoroki house. Several years ago, the youngest was very harshly burned and we were offered a pretty flimsy excuse. Now, we are notified that the eldest, also a son, Touya, is missing. He's been missing f_ _or_ _three months now, and beyond the courtes_ _y_ _alert we all saw on the news, what else is being done to bring the missing Todoroki home?_

 _"The answer to that, it seems, is nothing. Endeavor has not slowed on any of his patrols, nor allocated any time to search for his missing child. Also, quite surprisingly in a situation this high profile, he has not offered a reward for the safe return of his eldest._ _Sounds pretty fishy to me._ _"_

Izuku pauses it when the blankets rustle on the bed in front of him, a sleepy Todoroki peeking back up, revealing once more the ugly bruise blooming around the small bandage on the side of his face. Izuku locks the phone and slides it away, tugging the earphones free from his ears.

"You're going to rot your brain watching those," Todoroki mumbles and Izuku clams up for a moment, thinking Todoroki knows what he was watching. That he watched a crummy conspiracy nut rant about his family, but rational thought hits him before he incriminates himself, knowing Todoroki probably just thinks he's watching or reading hero news as he does eleven hours of every day.

"Have to stay informed," he says, bumping the phone against his skull, though a little rougher than he meant.

"How long did I sleep?" he asks, kicking back the covers and standing, his shirt twisted and rumpled.

"Maybe an hour."

"Is your mom upset?" Todoroki asks quietly.

"No. Why would she be?"

"I don't think she thought I was being honest. It's disrespectful to lie in someone else's home."

"I mean she doesn't _like_ lying, but she's more concerned about you." Izuku says. Todoroki doesn't say anything, and when Izuku looks at him he's got his hands in his lap and is looking down at them.

"I apologize. I should have insisted I not come until I was well enough."

"Fuyumi seemed pretty worried about you." Izuku needs to get her cell number apparently. He hates going around Todoroki, but his friend needs help and if that's the only way he's going to figure out what kind of help he needs then, well, he's going to do it.

"She worries too much," Todoroki finally says.

"Maybe you worry too little." He means it as nonchalant, but he feels it comes out accusatory, instead. Bright eyes dart up to meet his, defiance lingering in them.

"Maybe you _both_ worry too much," he bites out.

"Geeze, sorry that when your sister is telling me something is wrong and you look like shit twice warmed over I give a damn," he says. The words themselves are harsh, but his tone is more desperate than anything.

"It's literally nothing I haven't been through a hundred times, Midoriya."

"You see, that literally made it worse" Izuku laments, turning in his desk chair and dropping his head harshly to the wood surface.

"I don't understand why it bothers you so much."

"Because you've convinced yourself that this isn't a big deal, or that it's normal just because it's _your_ normal. I'm worried because you _don't care_. You don't have any semblance of self-preservation. As long as it's you, it's fine, right?"

"I can take it. I'm training to be able to take it."

"You're training to be a _hero_ not a punching bag."

"I think you're misunderstanding, Midoriya," Todoroki all but growls. His tone is dangerous, his finger-tips shining with ice crystals.

"What I understand is your dad goes one-hundred percent on you _in your house_ and doesn't stop when you get knocked down. I _understand_ that he has been doing this to you since you were what four? Five? Do you know the definition of using excessive force on a child?" Izuku asks.

"Midoriya, don't. Please," he says, all trace of that bravado moments ago gone, left behind a desperate pleading look.

"It's _abuse_ , Todoroki." Todoroki looks like his world was just upended on him, though Izuku is sure by the next morning at the latest he'll again be in the mindset that Izuku doesn't know what he's talking about. "Kacchan beat on me all through school, scrawny, helpless, unpresented quirk me. What do you call that?" Todoroki doesn't answer. "Abuse. Do you think it changes just cause he's a hero?"

"I can't think about this anymore," Todoroki says. "I need- I need time to process." Izuku stands and Todoroki shrinks away, as if Izuku is going to lash out at him for needing a moment. As if that's some unreasonable request to make.

"I'm sorry. I pushed too hard," Izuku says. He's approaching slowly, like he would a frightened cat. Keeping his hands within Todoroki's sight, moving slow enough that he could easily stop him if he wanted to.

He puts his knee up on the bed and pulls himself up beside his friend.

"I just want you to be safe," he says wrapping his arms around Todoroki's shoulders.

They stay that way for a while, until a jaw-breaking yawn comes from Todoroki.

"Come on, you look like you could sleep for a week," Izuku says, pulling him to lay down.

"Or a month," he mumbles. They lie down facing each other, Todoroki's cold foot brushes Izuku's bare leg and he yelps. "Sorry." Izuku smiles at him and nudges the iced limb back towards himself, warming it on his own calf. He takes his other hand and laces his fingers through Todoroki's warm ones, hoping the blush on his cheeks isn't as prominent as it feels.

He might be imagining it, but he feels like there's a pink tint to Todoroki's cheeks as well.

He wakes up not knowing what time it is and feeling like he's slept too close to one of those space heaters they had to put in their apartment when the main heating just couldn't keep up. The puff of air on the back of his neck makes him realize it is _not_ a space heater, instead it's Todoroki, who's plastered to his side.

There's a soft knock at the door and he resists the urge to jump away from Todoroki. His mom peeks in, eyes going wide before softening at them. Izuku makes a motion for her to stay quiet, but it's useless. Todoroki stirs beside him, sitting up, his hair all tangled, the two colors mingling more than he's ever seen them in his part.

"Midoriya," he grumbles and then he notices their company. "Oh burn me alive," he mutters before flopping back down and pulling the blanket over his head.

Inko chuckles from the doorway before speaking. "I have some dinner ready if you boys are hungry."

"Thanks mom," Izuku calls.

"Thank you, Mrs. Midoriya," Todoroki's muffled voice sounds from under the blanket. When the door clicks shut behind his mother Todoroki shows his face again, which is definitely red with blush.

"Oops," Izuku says unabashed. Todoroki just glares.

"Wait. What time is it?!" Todoroki asks, flipping back the covers to stare at Izuku, who's green eyes avert sheepishly.

"I guess we were both tired," Izuku offers, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Sure enough, it's dusk outside, the sun setting behind the towers of the complex.

"I shouldn't have slept that long," Todoroki says. His words are spoken in quick succession and he's already stumbling out of bed, his expression harried.

"Todoroki, it's okay."

"It's not okay. I wasted a whole day. My joints feel like they're made of lead. I can't feel my arm and my head is heavy. And- and"

"You're healing. And you're rested. And it's fine. My mom doesn't care. I don't care. You needed it." There's a pregnant pause before words are whispered. Todoroki isn't looking at him when he says it, rifling through the bedsheets for his other sock instead.

"Thank you."

` Dinner is quiet. Todoroki somehow still looks like he needs to sleep for about thirteen days and Izuku doesn't feel like pushing him anymore right now.

He and his mom make idle talk that occasionally tries to include Todoroki, asking about the semester, school, their work study stuff. She's not asking what she wants to ask the same way Izuku isn't.

After the third time Todoroki poorly stifles a yawn Izuku decides enough is enough and goes to put the other boy to bed. Because he's a good guest, and because he's too lazy to actually set up the spare futon tonight, he sets up Todoroki in his bed and prepares to take the couch.

"You should sleep in your own bed," Todoroki argues.

"Nah. You're my guest. You get dibs."

"We could share again." That gives Izuku palpitations. Because he wants to. God does he _want_ to.

"Just take the bed," he insists.

"I'm perfectly fine on the couch. It's far from the worst I've slept on."

"Can we not fight right now, please?" Izuku asks, his tone quiet. "I just want you to be comfortable."

"Okay." He gets Todoroki wrapped up in the blankets and pulls a spare out of his closet just in case before he leaves. "Thank you for letting me stay, Midoriya."

"Any time. I mean it." Izuku says and he does. He would let Todoroki _move in_ if it meant he never had to come back to school with bruises.

The couch isn't particularly comfortable and he sets a mental reminder to set up the spare bed tomorrow so he doesn't have to do this again. He leaves the TV on for a little while, watching reruns on the hero network until it starts talking about their new number one hero. He chuckles with some of the comments the reporter that seems to not like Endeavor quips.

After a while though, the person defending him just pisses him off and sets off a headache, so he flips the channel to some mindless action movie. He pulls out his phone, noting several texts he has, including one from an unknown number.

 _Unknown: Hey, it's Fuyumi. How is he?_

 _Izuku: Stubborn. Sleeping._

 _Unknown: Thank you again for letting him stay._

 _Izuku: Of_ _course_ _. He's my friend._

 _But_

 _Why was it so urgent? I thought Endeavor was gone_

 _Unknown: He just gets in a weird headspace after time with dad._

 _He comes back from school fine_

 _So I thought maybe being around a classmate would help_

 _Izuku… How much do you know?_

 _Izuku: Enough._

 _Unknown: I see…_

 _I don't really have a right to ask._

 _but_

 _Look out for him for me…?_

 _Izuku: Always._

 _Unknown: I'm glad he has a friend like you_

Izuku sighs. This whole family needs therapy. He texts Uraraka and Kaminari while he formulates a plan for dealing with Todoroki.

He's not sure exactly when he falls asleep.

Izuku likes having Todoroki around. It's easy to be near him. Mostly. As long as he avoids the difficult topics. As long as he doesn't push about the burns. Or the bruises. Or the fact that he looked like he hadn't slept for days before he showed up.

He tries. Because he's Izuku. But Todoroki always shuts down. He's already circled back to acting like it's not a big deal. They go running that morning because even though it's a break, they're training to be heroes and Todoroki is still wound up about sleeping most of the day. He's skirt of right. They can't afford to be lazy.

 _We can afford to be healthy,_ Izuku mentally argues, still more than a bit miffed at the state Todoroki had been in when he'd arrived. He thought someone like Endeavor would know training past exhaustion does more harm than good. Or maybe he knows and doesn't care. Maybe he knows, and the point isn't training, it's just cruelty.

They're rounding their third lap, passing by Dagobah when they pause to catch their breath. Well, more so Izuku can catch his breath.

"Ugh. Should have brought water," Izuku complains as he dry swallows. His mouth feels like cotton in the chilled air. He looks over to Todoroki. "That is so not fair." He complains. Todoroki has a chunk of ice in his left hand that he's melting into a stream of water that's trickling into his open mouth. Briefly, beyond being impressed by the trick, he's struck by Todoroki's profile against the rising sun.

"It's a useful trick. Figured it out years ago. Here. Tilt your head." Todoroki says it likes its nothing and Izuku struggles to find a reason to say no, but he can't find one that's not just word salad about having a crush on his friend that makes this feel really really weird.

In his indecision, Todoroki puts his finger under Izuku's chin and tilts it for him.

The water is still cool when it hits his tongue. His face on the other hand feels like it's on fire.

"Well I guess we better get going, run and all." Izuku says nervously but Todoroki makes no move to follow him, his eyes off to the side, looking at the waves crashing on shore.

"Maybe we could spar here instead?" He offers, turning to face Izuku.

"Spar? You're covered in bruises already?!" Izuku sputters.

"And?" Fucking fine then.

"No quirks." Izuku says.

"Of course."

"I'm not prepared to lose this time," Izuku says, the familiar feeling of a smile breaking out on his face. These steps with Todoroki are so easy to fall back into, so easy and mundane and... well. Something he could definitely get used to.

He and Todoroki had taken up quirkless sparring a while ago. Izuku for his general lack of combat training and Todoroki to try and lessen his reliance on brute force.

They take up their stances, Izuku's clawed crouch and Todoroki's martial artist stance (it's much improved from the awkward hunch he'd started with earlier in the year).

"Ready?" Izuku asks. Todoroki nods. "Go." Even without a quirk Izuku is quick and he knows it. He's not gotten much taller, but he's built muscle. He charges Todoroki and makes a move to sweep the other's feet out from under him, which is subsequently dodged by a graceful leap and shove to Izuku's broadening shoulders.

Todoroki has a smug smirk on his face when he lunges for Izuku and if it replaces that dejected depression that's been hanging around him, then Izuku can take a couple hits.

The next time Todoroki comes for him he slips his arms out of his jacket and winds one sleeve around Todoroki's outstretched wrist.

Todoroki looks at the garment like it's burned him and likes he's contemplating burning it in return before he kicks up sand at Izuku, causing him to sputter and drop the other side in lieu of unblinding himself.

"That was dirty," Izuku pants when he can see again.

"So was yours."

"Not really. I've gotten used to using other things to my advantage. You know my quirk hasn't always been something I've been able to rely on."

"Like your backpack?" Todoroki asks.

"My- how did you know about that?"

"I looked you up after the festival. Happened to catch the video of you and Bakugo. You were skinnier then."

"I had a pretty intense summer." Todoroki's eyes darken.

"I see."

"Not like that, Todoroki."

"Sure."

"All-might wouldn't do what he's done."

"What does - All-might trained you?"

"You asked what our connection was. Apparently I inspired him trying to help Kacchan. All the pros were standing around, but I was the one who ran in. I was stupid, but he liked my spirit."

"You weren't stupid." Izuku scoffs. "You'll make a good hero... Deku. Now. If you want to be number one, come beat me."

"All right. Shouto." Todoroki's eyes widen and Izuku chuckles. "You should maybe work on your hero name."

"Shouto is fine. It's just... different coming from you."

Izuku lunges back in with a feint to Todoroki's right and then an actual hook to his left and is surprised when only the former is dodged, the latter making solid contact on his temple. Todoroki stumbles briefly before squaring up a challenge on his face, but it's a mask. He can tell. It's covering something else, he just can't quite read what.

"Nice shot," Todoroki says, his tone careful. Despite their regulations, he can see frost glinting in the morning sun. He feels his own smile falter. This definitely wasn't a good idea.

He doesn't get a chance to call it off when Todoroki pushes into his space, cold fingers wrapping around his wrist and a burning one on his shoulder, pinning the arm behind his back.

Izuku thinks about it only briefly before throwing his head back, raising on his tiptoes so he hits something besides Todoroki's chin and twists free when the others grip slackens slightly. He tries to flip Todoroki while he's recovering from the head butt, but he isn't quick enough and gets dodged by a smooth sidestep and another playful shove to the back.

"You're not trying very hard," Todoroki says, shedding his zip up.

"You expect me to go all out whenyou look like that?" Izuku asks. Todoroki's face twitches but he says nothing else. "I take it he doesn't take it easy on you even if you're still hurt?" Izuku presses.

"Don't ask stupid questions."

"Then don't act stupid!" Izuku calls out, his words still washing out against the crash of the sea.

He can tell Todoroki's angry. His shoulders are squared off, drawing him up to his full height instead of the lop sided slouch he prefers and his mouth is in a pale line. His eyes look like a hurricane. Like lightning and thunder ready to demolish everything.

Todoroki strikes again but it's predictable and easy to dodge without the weight of his quirk behind it. Izuku parries, dropping Todoroki to his knees with a well-placed kick. Izuku spars with a lot of people. Iida helps him with legwork. Uraraka teaches him what she learns from Gunhead. Ojiro helps him with footwork. Kirishima does hand to hand with him. Sparring with Todoroki is usually Izuku's favorite. Not today though.

Today it's frustrating. It's frustrating to see him hurt and still pushing. It's irritating to hear him make excuses for his dad. It's enraging for Izuku to call him names hoping to get something out of the other boy.

His next kick Todoroki catches by the ankle and pulls, sweeping his arm beneath Izuku's armpit and throwing him on his back in the sand.

It doesn't hurt, the sand is softer than the cement they often have classes on, and has more give than the dirt he and Todoroki usually fall in. He rolls back to his feet and spits, trying to get the grit from his mouth. Fucking sand. He landed on his back, how is it in his mouth.

They have a couple more exchanges that get them nowhere. Izuku kicks again, aiming for Todoroki's middle, trying to knock him off balance. Todoroki turns to avoid a straight on hit, but it glances off his side, off his burn, and he bites back against the curse that wants to break free.

"Todoroki-" Izuku starts, the word stop forming on his lips. He knew this was a bad idea from the beginning and now he was certain this wasn't going to make anything better.

Todoroki is on him before the word leaves his mouth. Izuku doesn't block in time and Todoroki's cold fingers lock around his wrist, his other shoving hard against his chest, his leg moving to sweep Izuku's out from under him.

Izuku hits the ground even softer than before, gets a brief second to wonder if Todoroki had controlled his fall and then his friend's weight is over him, pressing on his thighs, his shoulders, and heat is radiating against his neck.

"You pulled your punches," Todoroki says.

"You didn't," Izuku groans, rubbing at his wrist when Todoroki lets him sit up.

"Yes I did," Todoroki says, frowning. "Did I hurt you?" His eyes are wide before darting down to Izuku's wrist. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he says quickly, pulling Izuku gently by his forearm, icy fingers prodding at the sore bones.

"It's okay Todoroki. I was mostly joking. I've definitely had worse," he jokes, smile wide, but the attempt falls flat. Todoroki's eyes are down, his fringe obscuring his expression.

"It's not seriously hurt," Todoroki mumbles. Izuku looks up, watching the sky continue to brighten with the morning.

"Your hand feels good there," Izuku says before his throat closes up realizing what he said. Todoroki doesn't comment, but he does activate his quirk, forming a thin shield of ice, soothing the pain and providing stability.

"We should go. You need to take care of this properly."

"Todoroki," Izuku says. Todoroki is already standing, dusting the sand off his track pants.

When they get back to the house Inko is making lunch. Izuku drags Todoroki to his room, stopping in the bathroom to pick up the first aid kit they had used the night before.

"Help me, will you?" Izuku asks. For one, it's on his dominant hand which will make wrapping it hard and two, letting Todoroki sit in the corner and sulk isn't going to help anyone.

"Sure." He doesn't meet Izuku's eyes. Todoroki's hands are gentle and his touch is measured, as if he's trying to minimize the amount of contact their hands have. "It's the same hand," he eventually mutters.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"Are you still on about that hand curse?"

"… no."

"As far as I can tell, we're pretty even. I got your head pretty good there didn't I?"

"It wasn't bad." Izuku frowns. It had been pretty solid contact, enough to have _Todoroki_ stagger. Todoroki had barely done that much after he'd hit him with One for all back in their first sports festival.

"Accidents happen."

"So accidents happen between us. But when it's at home you act like it's so much worse." Todoroki bites out.

"It's different, Todoroki." Izuku says, but is met with a small scoff. He decides to pull back, not wanting to deal with pissed off Todoroki for the rest of the day. "You wanna meet my neighbors' cat?"

Lunch is awesome. Todoroki had relaxed during their cat visit. Izuku had been a little pissed when the cat decided she liked Todoroki more than him, but who could blame her, really.

He's at his childhood home with his mom and Todoroki eating carefully prepared food. His mom side eyes his wrapped wrist but chooses to do nothing but shake her head at him fondly. Really. It couldn't get much better than this. He and his mom talk easily; Todoroki doesn't participate in conversation all that much, mostly watching the exchanges with sometimes almost comically wide eyes.

"How is the rest of your family doing, Todoroki?" Inko asks him about halfway through the meal. "Fuyumi is a lovely girl."

"She is," he says, his expression fond. "She's really the only one I had a chance to get close to growing up." Todoroki purses his lips and Izuku knows he's choosing his words carefully. Todoroki always tries to tell the truth as much as he can, without getting too close to the actual truth. "My father is… busy with hero work. Natsu is in college and… well. I don't know about Touya."

"Who's Touya?" Izuku asks because he's never mentioned someone named Touya before. He can see the moment Todoroki's jaw locks and Izuku knows he should have asked this after dinner, when they were alone, if he wanted an answer.

"He's the eldest. He… left home a long time ago and hasn't spoken to us since, and mama- she's been in the hospital most of my life." Izuku wants to wrap his arms around his friend; feel his odd temperature difference against his chest, feel his hair tickle his nose and just… _be_ there for him. Be there like it sounds no one has been in a long time.

His mom does it in his place. She walks over to the other side of the table, her food abandoned to wrap her arms gently around the teenager who's eyes betray far more age than they should. Todoroki tenses slightly under her touch, but relaxes soon after. Izuku can see his eyes over his mother's small shoulders, the way they glisten before closing, his hand coming up with uncertainty, hesitantly touching her between the shoulder blades.

"I'm sorry your mother isn't well. Has she improved since you were young?" She pulls back, her hands still on his shoulders, rubbing small circles into them.

"I think so. She's… stronger than she was," he looks down at his lap. "They won't ever actually tell me what's going on. Father told them not to."

"He won't let you ask about your mom?" Izuku blurts and apparently he's standing now, one hand on the table top, the other itching to make a fist in his irritation, One for All begging to let loose through his veins.

"He says it would distract me. Same reason I wasn't close with my siblings. Excuse me," Todoroki pushes away from the table and walks out. Izuku longs to follow him, but between the look he's certain his mother is giving him and the fact that he probably needs at least a minute to compose himself. Todoroki cried on him once but he knows he's prideful and that he hates to feel weak.

He hates feeling like he needs other people because his dad told him he didn't need anyone else. He's still coming around to accepting that. The same way Izuku is still working on accepting that it's okay for heroes to cry and it's okay to be weary of Bakugo even though he's changing. That it's okay not to forgive someone the moment they extend an olive branch.

"Go on," his mom says. "He needs you."

"He doesn't share much about his family, he's just overwhelmed." Inko looks at him with narrowed eyes. "His dad kinda sucks," Izuku offers.

"Sounds like it." Izuku resists the urge to use his quirk to speed down the hall, quickening his pace on his own instead. He really hates Endeavor and he thinks it wouldn't be bad for his mom to be on their side. She's not particularly strong with her quirk, but she's fiercely protective. She stood her ground in front of All-might himself. He's not sure Endeavor in all his flaming wrath would get past her if she really wanted to stop him.

He prays though that his mother is never forced to take that confrontation.

Izuku on the other hand… would love a reason to knock a few of his teeth out.

"Todoroki?" Izuku calls before opening the door all the way. Todoroki is sitting on the bed, watching his hands, his brow creased as snowflakes dance between the fingers of his right.

"I shouldn't have said that." His voice is quiet. "There's just… so much I haven't talked about in so long."

"Talk to me about it," Izuku blurts out.

"What?"

"You already told me about your mom. And about your dad. I haven't told anyone else. I-I want to help you, Todoroki. And sometimes it helps to… to talk about this kind of stuff."

"Does it help for you to talk about your relationship with Bakugo?"

"Please don't phrase it like that."

"Like what?"

"Never mind. It kind of did… I mean, it helped me reclaim the name he used to call me, and it made me feel kind of validated when you didn't like his behavior either. It also- I don't know, it just lets some of it ebb off. Like it's no longer just bubbling up inside you, festering if you give it a chance to get out. It doesn't fix everything, but sometimes it helps a little to have someone else who knows what you're going through."

"I see…"

"Everyone lies. Everyone has secrets. You just have to make sure you aren't straining yourself too much by keeping them all. I lie. Iida lies. Kirishima lies. Hell even All-might lies. You have to find people you're okay with knowing what the lies are hiding. I… I knew All-might's secret a long time before Kamino. That's part of the connection we had."

"Is the other part that you _are_ actually secretly related?"

"I wish," Izuku laughs. "I don't even know my dad. He's been away since I was too young to remember him. I never cared, but I think mom still gets lonely sometimes."

"Kind of makes me feel bad. At least mine is around."

"Hey, no. If mine was anything like yours I wouldn't want him around either. You're deflecting though."

"I don't know where to start."

"Can I ask you something then? That you'll answer honestly?" Izuku asks. Todoroki nods. "Why don't you tell anyone? About your dad I mean. Get away from him."

"Who would believe me?" Todoroki's voice breaks on the last word, the snowflakes turn to solid ice and then drop to the floor.

"I did," Izuku says, putting all the earnestness he can into those words.

"And you trust too easy. He's powerful. He's influential. He could bury anything I said, pay off anyone who dared get involved." Todoroki's not looking at him. His fingers are twitching before he laces them together, trying to make them steady.

"That's not it though. Is it?" Todoroki's lip trembles before he speaks again.

"He could hurt mama again. When I first got my quirk and he started training me, mama tried to help. She kept Fuyumi and the others out in the yard while we trained and she'd get between us when he got too rough. He wouldn't stop though. He'd just hit her instead and I… I couldn't do anything.

"After a while he started getting me up before she was awake and he'd tell me to stay quiet so she wouldn't get in his way and I tried. I tried so hard… but I just… I was young.

"And then he sent her away and it didn't matter anymore. Sometimes when he's really angry he'll threaten to take it out on her but he never has. He just knows it's where I'm weak and heroes shouldn't be weak.

"She's… she's finally doing better, but I know even seeing him would frighten her. She won't touch me. Not even now. She doesn't trust herself. It's been nine _years_ and she won't touch me. She scrutinizes me every time I walk through the door, like she's trying to decipher if it's me or _him._ "

"She was the only one who was there for you, wasn't she?" Todoroki nods. "Your dad isolated you from them?"

"It's not like they really tried. I think at first Natsu resented me. I was the only one he paid any attention to. Most of the time I just wished I could be like them or just… not be there at all. Especially after mama left."

There is _so_ much wrong with this Izuku isn't even sure where to start, but he decides since he has Todoroki talking, he'll let him vent. They can tackle all the issues another day. Or week.

Neither of them notice the headline that pops up on Izuku's screen saying the villain Endeavor left town to take care of had been neutralized.

 **So. I hate most of this chapter. I didn't like the news presentation at ALL, but I wanted to convey that part of the story. Every since All-might mentioned they conveniently haven't spoken since a press conference that happened to be around the same time Shouto got hurt I decided the two could be related and I ran with it.**

 **Next week may or may not have a chapter, depending on if I can find time and motivation amongst the last minute wedding stuff. I really hope you are all enjoying it, I'm definitely enjoying writing it (except that first bit because it's still cringeworthy to me)**


	5. Chapter 5

They're on the floor in the living room when there's a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Izuku's mom calls from the laundry room.

Izuku's friends stopping by during break isn't uncommon, so she doesn't bother looking through the peephole. "Oh. Can I help you?"

"Hello, Inko." Izuku shoots up.

"All-might!" He runs through the hall, launching himself at their teacher's middle and into a bone-crushing hug. Todoroki is only a little surprised that there's no blood spitting accompanying a hug of that magnitude.

"Hello young Midoriya," All-might says, ruffling wild green curls fondly. Shadowed blue eyes look into the apartment, catching a glimpse of Todoroki's distinct features. "And young Todoroki as well." His voice is more reigned in now, much less excited. Todoroki tries not to take it to heart, tries not to be hurt by the obvious difference in enthusiasm. He's pretty used to it.

No one has been happy to see him in a long time, always instinctively attaching him to his father's behaviors. Always assuming he'll be the same fiery headache and flaming rage. The only one who's been excited for him- for Shouto, for something beyond the "Todoroki" part of his name- is Midoriya. When he was just Endeavor's son to Midoriya, he was the same as any other classmate. When he wasn't just a classmate anymore, he called him on his shit, helped him without trying, and became the first friend Shouto has ever had.

"Endeavor was just at the school requesting your address," All-might says to Izuku, though his eyes remain on Todoroki. "I didn't give it to him. Not allowed to. But I know that if he wants it, he'll get it somehow."

"I thought he was out of the area," Todoroki says, his voice quiet. Small. He sounds like a child to his own ears.

"He returned this morning. He was unhappy to find young Todoroki not at home and his temporary guardian unreachable. He came to the school to check the dorms."

"Why does he assume you're with me?" Izuku asks, walking towards Todoroki, beckoning All-might further into the apartment.

"I don't know. Maybe he thinks I'm trying to spite him. He likes you least of all of my classmates." Izuku doesn't even blink at that information.

"Yeah well he's my least favorite of my friend's parents so we're even," he quips before wincing and looking to his mother and All-might who both look mildly confused. He shrugs at them both before bulldozing on. "I guess we should get you home, then." He says, but Izuku feels like everyone in the room can read the falseness in his words, the way he wishes they could do anything but return his friend to that damn house.

"I'll go." Todoroki says.

"That's not what I meant," Izuku retorts but Todoroki puts his hand up.

"What happened to your face, young Todoroki?" All-might asks, ignoring the way Todoroki's spine stiffens, the sharpening in his gaze, the way it looks like he's damn near ready to fight or run straight out the front door.

"Sparring got out of hand," Izuku says, his hand once again instinctively going up to run fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, face scrunching up when he feels the sand tangled in his hair. He catches the look his mom throws him and looks away, unable to hold her gaze.

It had temporarily slipped his mind that she had been there when Todoroki arrived, that she knew he _came_ to their house with those bruises. That there was no way he'd gotten them sparring with Izuku.

Fuck.

This is why he shouldn't lie. For whatever reason, Inko doesn't say anything. She eyes him carefully, he's not looking at her, but he can feel her emerald eyes studying him, until finally, that stress melts away and he looks up to find her meandering to their meager kitchen to prepare drinks and snacks for the unexpected visitor.

They don't get much farther before there's a louder, much more aggressive sounding knock. Izuku doesn't miss the way Todoroki flinches away from the sound. All-might was chatting with Izuku about break and he's pretty sure the former pro didn't notice Todoroki's reaction.

"I've got it, mom," Izuku calls, jumping up towards the door. Todoroki is a statue on his couch.

He opens the door to a man almost as tall as All-might and twice as broad. He's looking down his nose at Izuku with those ice cold eyes -ironic- with his thick arms crossed over his puffed out chest. He's not all that different from when Izuku had encountered him at the festival, apart from the fact that now he isn't wearing his hero uniform and his customary facial flames are absent. He's no less intimidating this way.

"I'm looking for the boy," he growls. Izuku crosses his own arms over his chest. It's a meager display of resistance, but the twitch at the corner of Endeavor's eye makes it damn worth it.

"At my house? Why ever would you look here?" Izuku asks. He can hear his mother's kitchen scramblings cease, hear her gentle steps as she approaches the living room, taking up a space where she can see the doorway.

"Don't be smart with me child. You'd do well not to make enemies of people with influence."

"I don't care to make friends with people who use their influence like you do."

"Don't talk like you know anything, you brat." His eyes aren't looking at Izuku anymore and he wants to curse because he knows the moment he sees Todoroki. Can see something harden and ignite in his eyes.

He and Todoroki may share the same color and shape in their eyes, but that's where the similarities end. Where Todoroki's are creased with laugh lines, and soften when Izuku does something silly or Iida scolds them or Kaminari gets stupid, Endeavor's are lined with folds from scowling, angry lines that mar his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Endeavor says, entering the apartment despite Izuku's apparent reluctance to let him in. At the very least, he has the decency to remove the dress shoes he has on before stalking down the hallway.

It's surreal to see such a larger than life hero in his childhood home. Just a year ago he'd be flipping his shit at the idea of _Endeavor_ in his home. He wasn't his favorite hero by any means, but that didn't mean Izuku didn't bear a great respect and admiration towards him. Until he found out what a shitty person he was.

Izuku lost all respect for him after what Todoroki shared with him. Having a powerful quirk isn't important to Izuku. That's not what's so interesting to him about heroes. What fascinates and enthralls him about heroes is what they do with it. The ways they _help_ people. That's why he loves All-might. Throughout his career he risked life and limb to help as many people as he could. He always put them first. Always put their needs first.

He put their needs above his secret. He protected them even though it ended his career. He fought past his breaking point for those in danger. He broke down half of what he'd stood for his entire life, tarnished his beloved image as the symbol of peace so he could help people.

All-might is just about everything Endeavor is not. More than once it's occurred to Izuku how easily the boy trying so hard to appear nonchalant on his couch could have turned out villainous. Could have ended up on a very different path. Could have decided his father had forever tarnished the name of hero the way Shigaraki seemed to have.

Shigaraki's hatred for heroes, from what he knows of the man-child and from what Torino and All-might shared with him after Kamino, stemmed from a poor childhood that they never rescued him from. A childhood that All for one _did_ rescue him from.

Todoroki easily could have decided heroes had failed him. Could easily have been swayed by the ideas Stain had thrown about.

Yet here he was, fighting tooth and nail with the rest of them trying to be a hero. Trying to embrace everything his father _isn't_. Trying to move past the part in his life that was dark and painful, that still is harsh and violent.

"I decided to hang out with a friend. Fuyumi tried to-"

"Spare me your excuses. I finally got a hold of that girl and she already told me she sent you here." Todoroki's eyes widen. "It's time to come home," Endeavor says and Izuku bristles at the obvious threat in his words. The undertones that say ' _come easily or I'll just take it out on her instead.'_

Izuku's chest burns with the truth, with words that could likely end this whole confrontation. All-might has as much or more sway than Endeavor, if he could get him to believe them then… then…

Todoroki is standing, brushing past Izuku and Izuku can feel the chill radiating off of him.

"Todoroki," he starts but Todoroki looks at him. His face is blank, that careful mask slipped back over his features.

"It's okay, Midoriya," he says, pausing to put on his shoes. "I'll keep in touch."

"Like hell," Endeavor growls, but Izuku is almost positive he's the only one who hears that.

"Endeavor," All-might calls from behind him. Endeavor, Enji, turns back, annoyance written plainly on his features. "I think you and I should get together sometime very soon." Todoroki's mask cracks, revealing thinly veiled panic as he looks up at his father, judging how the man is taking those words.

"I'm a busy man thanks to you," Enji says, putting his shoes back on.

"Yes, I wouldn't want to have to call another parent teacher conference in order to meet with you."

"All-might," Izuku starts because he feels like this is bad. He feels like this is leading to an outcome that really, _really_ isn't good.

"Phone my assistant if you must," Enji bites out. The door rattles on its hinges when it shuts behind the departing duo. Air seeps out of Izuku's lungs unbidden and he feels like his legs are going to give out beneath him.

"Izuku. A moment," his mom says, beckoning him into the kitchen.

' _I can't catch a break today.'_ Izuku thinks.

"Do you want to tell me what just happened?" His mother asks as soon as they are in the kitchen, relatively out of earshot of the lingering hero in their living room.

"His dad is an ass. We didn't know he'd be back so soon."

"That's not what I'm talking about, though I have some words besides 'ass' for that man. Why did you lie to All-might?"

"Because…" and he can't think of anything. He can't think of one single excuse that explains why he did what he did without giving away facts that he _just can't say._

"Because? Now, I know I didn't teach you that that is an appropriate response to a question, young man."

"Because I can't talk about what actually happened, ok?!" His voice is louder than he means and shrill. It's not really yelling at his mom, but yelling to her. It's venting the frustration he's been feeling for months that's only gotten exponentially worse in recent weeks.

It's a plea for her to understand without getting too much. For her to help _somehow_ because he just doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what's right anymore. He doesn't know what's helping his friend and what's ultimately going to end up hurting him. He's just sixteen, these things are way out of his zone of 'things I can confidently handle.'

His mom nods solemnly at him before pulling him into a soft hug. He embraces her back, squeezing her tightly, hoping to convey how much her gentle support means to him.

The look on All-might's face when he re-enters the living room tells him he's not done explaining yet. He's not done lying yet.

 **A little late this time, sorry.**

 **I got married on Sunday (yay).**

 **We've been on our honeymoon since, and then yesterday my 7 month old fell off a table at the restaurant onto his head.**

 **I honestly wrote this chapter as a distraction and it is definitely not my best work so I apologize there.**

 **I hope to be on time next week.**

 **As always, hope you are enjoying the fic.**

 **Cassie.**


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